A tragic accident in Mumbai's Kurla area on Monday night claimed the lives of at least seven people. Forty-nine others injured, including four policemen, suffered injuries in the incident that occurred when a BEST bus (Route 332) lost control and plowed into pedestrians and vehicles before crashing into the wall of a housing society.

The crash took place around 9:30 pm. The police immediately took the bus driver taken into custody. The bus was traveling from Kurla to Andheri when it veered off course.

Authorities believe the driver lost control of the vehicle near Route 332, which caused it to smash through several cars and pedestrians before coming to a halt in the residential area of Buddha Colony, as per the reports.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed sorrow over the loss of life in the accident and offered prayers for the recovery of the injured.

In a message shared on X, Fadnavis announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each of the deceased from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

“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, as quoted by PTI.

He further assured that necessary steps had been taken to ensure that the victims and their families receive prompt assistance.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 5, Ganesh Gawade, confirmed the details. "A BEST bus lost control in Kurla and collided with multiple vehicles. It resulted in 25 injuries and 4 deaths. The injured are being treated at nearby hospitals, and the bus driver has been taken into custody. An inquiry is currently underway," he said as quoted by the News Agency ANI.

Eyewitness Accounts

An eyewitness, Zeeshan Ansari, recalled, as reported by PTI, "I was standing outside Royal Sweets with my friends when I saw the bus being driven recklessly. It suddenly slammed into several vehicles and pedestrians before entering Buddha Colony. We immediately rushed to pull the driver out."

"Many people were lying in pools of blood. A crowd gathered at the site and helped transport the injured to the hospital."

Media reports have quoted one Zaid Ahmed, a 26-year-old local resident, who said, "I was leaving my house to head to the station when I heard a loud noise. I ran to the scene and saw the bus had hit pedestrians, an autorickshaw, and three cars. I witnessed several dead bodies and helped rescue passengers from the autorickshaw, taking them to Bhabha Hospital. My friends also assisted with the injured."

Other eyewitnesses stated that the bus, en route from Kurla to Andheri (Route 332), also collided with a police vehicle.

The bus involved in the crash was a 12-meter-long electric vehicle manufactured by Olectra Greentech, a Hyderabad-based company. It had been leased to BEST on a wet lease basis. The bus, registered just three months ago on August 20, 2024, is owned by EVEY Trans, according to a Tardeo Regional Transport Office (RTO) official.

BEST officials reported facing challenges with the investigation due to the large crowd at the site. The authorities in response have deployed heavy police personnel to maintain order.

Efforts are on to piece together the sequence of events that led to this devastating tragedy.