Bus goes rogue! Pedestrians along with vehicles caught in terrifying rampage, chaos erupts
by Ekta ChaubeyA bus lost control, plowing into pedestrians and vehicles, causing a chaotic scene of destruction and panic.
The incident took place in the Kurla area of Mumbai city, Maharashtra, western India on December 9.
Visuals show the bus swerving uncontrollably towards the left side of the road, with sparks flying from beneath the vehicle. Onlookers scrambled in panic as the bus zoomed past them, leaving pedestrians visibly distressed and shocked. The scene quickly descended into utter chaos.
According to reports, the driver of the bus, identified as Sanjay More, lost control while traveling from Kurla station to Sakinaka. The bus, crowded with passengers, crashed into pedestrians and dragged nearby vehicles. It finally slammed into a residential society, Buddha Colony, before coming to a stop.
While the exact cause of the accident remains unclear, there are speculations that the vehicle’s brakes failed. Kurla MLA and Shiv Sena leader Dilip Lande, who visited the scene, claimed the brakes failed shortly after the bus left Kurla station. Sensing the issue, the driver panicked and accidentally accelerated, causing the bus to gain speed and ultimately lose control. The bus collided with pedestrians and other vehicles in its path.
The chaos resulted in over 10 pedestrians being hit, along with five to six autorickshaws and around 10 motorcycles. Eyewitnesses likened the scene to “a terror attack,” unable to comprehend the unfolding disaster. One autorickshaw became trapped under the bus, but those inside were rescued.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawade confirmed that the driver lost control, and stated that the driver had been detained while investigations continue. Gawade refrained from commenting on whether the driver was under the influence, promising updates once the investigation is complete.
Concerns have been raised over how a bus, which was only inducted into the BEST fleet two months ago, could suffer a brake failure. The 12-metre-long bus, under the jurisdiction of the Kurla Depot, was an electric vehicle manufactured by Hyderabad-based Olectra Greentech. It had been leased to BEST on a wet lease, with a contract for the driver with Pune-based Morya Trans India Private Limited.
Tardeo Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials confirmed the bus was just three months old, adding that the investigation was delayed due to the large crowd at the scene.