A fatal accident involving a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) electric bus in Mumbai's Bhandup area has claimed four lives and left eight others injured. The driver, Santosh Sawant, has been arrested and has reportedly told the police that the tragedy occurred because the driver before him left the bus in drive mode instead of neutral.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Tragedy
The incident occurred on Monday night near Bhandup station. According to the Mumbai police, Santosh Sawant, a 50-year-old driver with several years of experience at BEST, had taken over the wheel after a shift change. Having driven an electric bus for only three months, Sawant assumed the vehicle was in neutral mode when he started his routine.
Police officials stated that Sawant pulled the hand brake and pressed the accelerator. However, because the bus was actually in drive mode, it surged forward uncontrollably, ploughing into pedestrians on the road. Senior Inspector Balasaheb Pawar of Bhandup police station noted that Sawant tried to avert a larger disaster by steering the bus towards a police chowky. "Had the vehicle gone straight, it would've impacted 50-100 people on the road and the casualty would have been much higher," Pawar explained.
Aftermath and Official Response
The Bhandup police registered an FIR and arrested Sawant on Monday night. He was produced in court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody until January 3. The police have sought custody to recreate the incident and understand the exact loss of control. They have also stated that the bus will be sent to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to check for any possible mechanical failure.
While Sawant's claim about the previous driver will be investigated, the police emphasized that the person at the wheel during the incident is legally responsible. Preliminary checks indicated Sawant was not under the influence of any intoxicant at the time.
In response to the catastrophe, the BEST undertaking has announced the formation of an internal committee to conduct an urgent probe. The General Manager has directed a detailed report to be submitted at the earliest. As immediate relief, BEST announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased. Compensation for the injured will be provided as per applicable norms.
Victims and Public Reaction
The accident resulted in the deaths of three women and one man, who were declared dead upon arrival at hospitals. Eight other individuals, including seven men, are currently undergoing treatment for their injuries. Disturbing videos from the scene showed locals pushing the bus to one side to rescue people trapped underneath it, highlighting the chaos and immediate public response.
The incident has sparked anger and grief among the families of the victims and the local community, raising serious questions about safety protocols during driver shift changes, especially for electric vehicles in the public transport fleet.
