CCTV Footage Shows Moments Before Deadly BEST Bus Accident in Mumbai's Kurla

Kurla Bus Accident: Amid an ongoing investigation into the Kurla bus accident, Republic World has accessed a CCTV from inside the BEST bus involved in the tragic mishap, which left seven dead and 42 injured. The video captures a seemingly ordinary scene inside the bus: the conductor is seen issuing tickets while the vehicle is packed with passengers. Some are seated, while others are standing due to the crowd. 

However, the routine is abruptly shattered as the accident occurs. The footage shows passengers panicking in the immediate aftermath, with chaos and fear spreading throughout the bus.   

Meanwhile, two lawyers have approached Maharashtra’s State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) for an “impartial” inquiry into the BEST bus accident. They said the tragedy in Mumbai’s Kurla area occurred as senior officials of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) ignored their drivers' working conditions.

Due to pressure from senior officials and lack of seriousness towards prescribed working hours, BEST bus drivers are not getting proper rest which is a violation of their rights, said lawyers Ashish Rai and Pankaj Mishra in their complaint.

The schedule of all existing BEST bus drivers should be checked to ascertain if they are being made to put in longer hours than legally permissible, the complaint said.

An out-of-control electric bus operated by the civic-run BEST undertaking rammed into pedestrians and vehicles at around 9.30 pm on Monday on the SG Barve Marg in Kurla West. Besides killing seven persons and injuring 42 others, including four policemen on ‘bandobast’ duty, the accident also wrecked 22 vehicles.

Basic facilities are not available to BEST drivers and they are not trained properly, the complaint said, adding that “gross negligence” on the part of the bus operator and the management is evident in this accident. The complaint urged SHRC to issue directions for an impartial enquiry into the accident and help the victims get justice.

Meanwhile, bus driver Sanjay More has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He has been remanded in police custody till December 21. According to details that have emerged so far, More had no experience in driving electric vehicles and had undergone only a ten-day training for steering EVs.