BEST Bus Rams Divider In Mankhurd, Killing 65-Year-Old Man

A 65-year-old man was killed and 10 others were injured after a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus crashed into a roadside divider in Mumbai's Mankhurd area on Monday morning. The accident occurred at around 8:30 am on the Sion-Panvel Highway near Vishwakarma Hospital and has prompted an investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash.

According to the bus driver, Banvari Shriram Prasad Sharma, the accident occurred after an auto-rickshaw suddenly swerved in front of the bus. Sharma, who has been driving BEST buses for nearly 30 years, said he immediately applied the brakes to avoid hitting the auto-rickshaw and protect pedestrians and other road users. However, he claimed the braking system did not respond as expected, resulting in the bus losing control and crashing into the divider.

The impact of the collision proved fatal for a 65-year-old man, while 10 other people sustained injuries of varying severity. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities have not yet released detailed information on the condition of the injured passengers.

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Police and transport officials have begun investigating the incident to determine whether mechanical failure, driver action or other factors contributed to the crash. As part of the inquiry, officials are expected to inspect the vehicle's braking system and examine CCTV footage from the area, along with statements from the driver and eyewitnesses.

The accident has once again raised concerns over the safety of Mumbai's public transport system, particularly following previous incidents involving BEST buses. Officials said the findings of the technical inspection and investigation will help establish the exact sequence of events and determine whether any lapses contributed to the collision.

Authorities have assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted before any conclusions are drawn. Meanwhile, traffic movement on the Sion-Panvel Highway was affected for some time after the crash before normal flow was restored. Further updates are expected as investigators complete the mechanical inspection of the bus and record witness statements.

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