New Delhi: Triggering panic on the road, a tram without a driver suddenly started moving and struck ten vehicles parked on the tram tracks in south Kolkata's Ballygunge area Thursday.
The tram - stalled on the track as there was no overhead power - started rolling automatically as electric supply was restored and hit ten cars one after another, but no one was injured.
Some locals claim the driver leapt off after the tram rammed the first car, but it couldn't be verified.
Panic spread at the busy crossing as the tram trundled into rush-hour traffic like a battering ram.
Pedestrians leapt out of the way and cars got crunched and crushed, leading to a traffic jam.
On the other side of the signal, the area between Kwality restaurant and Dhaba, some commuters were still trying to hail the tram, unaware that it was hurtling down towards them without brakes.
At this point, pavement-dwellers Dinesh Lal and Chandan Kapadia sprang into action. Dinesh, who jumped into the tram, realized he had no clue how to stop it.
"I have never been in such a situation and had no idea where the brake was. There was a long handle. It was the biggest thing around. I closed my eyes and pulled it. Thankfully, the tram stopped," he said.
Calcutta Tramways Company MD Nilanjan Sandilya said an enquiry has been ordered.
CTC neither confirmed nor denied that the tram was driverless when the accident happened.
Later, joint CP-HQ Rajeev Mishra said the incident possibly happened after the tram came to a stop following an electrical spark.
