MUMBAI: Seven persons died and more than 40 others were injured after a bus of the Mumbai's civic transport body BEST rammed into pedestrians as well as vehicles near Kurla railway station on Monday night, police and corporation officials said.
Sharing details with the media after more than five hours of the accident, BEST said "as per the initial information, the driver lost control of the bus".
Further commenting on the accident, in which several vehicles were dragged or damaged along the way, the transport body said the bus "speed accelerated" after the driver lost control over the wheels.
The bus driver, Sanjay More has been booked on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Three persons were brought dead from the crash site to nearby Bhabha Hospital, officials said on Monday night. A civic official on Tuesday said the death toll has gone up to six.
According to the officials, the driver of the BEST bus on route number 332 lost control over the wheel and dashed into pedestrians as well as some vehicles.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking's bus, after ploughing through pedestrians and vehicles, entered into a residential society, Buddha Colony, and came to a halt, they said.
"It dashed into various vehicles over a 100-metre stretch and the RCC column of Solomon building. The windows of the bus broke on impact. Locals roughed up the driver," an official said.
Zeeshan Ansari, an eyewitness, said "I was standing in front of Royal Sweets shop along with my friends when I saw a bus being driven rashly. The bus suddenly dashed into multiple vehicles as well as pedestrians and entered Buddha Colony. We rushed and brought out the bus driver."
"Many people were lying in a pool of blood. A crowd assembled at the spot and started moving the injured to hospital," Ansari said.
Zaid Ahmed, a 26-year-old resident of the area, said he was leaving his house to go to the railway station when he heard a loud noise.
"I ran to the spot and saw a BEST bus had hit pedestrians, other vehicles, including an autorickshaw and a three cars. I saw some dead bodies in front of my eyes. We rescued the passengers in the autorickshaw and took them to Bhabha Hospital in another three-wheeler. My friends also helped in providing relief to the injured," Ahmed recounted.
Other eyewitnesses said the bus, on route 332 from Kurla to Andheri, also rammed into a police vehicle.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured persons.
In a message on X, Fadnavis announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
The medical expenses of the injured will be covered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, he said.
"We stand with the families of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident.
I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," the CM said.
Necessary instructions had been issued to ensure the victims and their families receive prompt assistance, he assured.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)