Three women were among four people killed, and nine injured after a bus belonging to Mumbai's civic-run transport undertaking BEST ran over pedestrians in Mumbai's Bhandup on Monday night, leading to panic and chaos in the area.
The accident around 10 pm at the crowded Station Road in suburban Bhandup (West) in Mumbai.
Bhandup accident video
Now, CCTV footage has surfaced of the horrific accident, capturing the moment when the bus ran over unaware people in the area.
The footage shows several passengers standing by the roadside when a bus suddenly moves in the reverse direction. As the vehicle approaches, people are seen running in panic to save themselves.
The CCTV clip also shows one man being crushed under the wheels of the bus. The incident was recorded by a surveillance camera installed at a clothing shop located near the accident site.
Driver taken into custody, FIR lodged
Police said the bus driver had been detained and an FIR was being registered against him.
In a message, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport public relations officer Sucheta Utale said the accident took place outside Bhandup West railway station at around 10.05 pm. She said the bus was being driven by BEST staff driver Santosh Ramesh Sawant, 52, while Bhagwan Bhau Ghare, 47, was on duty as the conductor at the time.
The wet-leased midi bus involved in the accident had been hired from Olectra Greentech. Under the wet lease model followed by BEST, the contractor or operator bears the cost of fuel, the driver and maintenance of the bus, the official explained.
CM announces ex-gratia
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those killed in the accident. In a post on X, he described the incident as "extremely unfortunate" and paid heartfelt tributes to the deceased. He said 9 people were injured and prayed for their speedy recovery.
"The state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the legal heirs of the deceased," the chief minister said.
Earlier this year, mini buses operating on crowded routes connecting Bhandup station in the eastern suburbs to slum dominated areas near the foothills of Sanjay Gandhi National Park were withdrawn from the BEST fleet.
