4 killed, 9 injured as reversing BEST bus hits pedestrians in Mumbai’s Bhandup

Mumbai was shaken by tragedy on Monday night after a reversing BEST bus ploughed into pedestrians in suburban Bhandup (West), leaving four people — including three women — dead and nine others injured, officials said.

The fatal accident unfolded around 10 pm on the crowded Station Road, just outside Bhandup (West) railway station, a bustling artery teeming with commuters. What began as an ordinary evening quickly descended into chaos as the civic-run transport bus struck unsuspecting pedestrians while being reversed at the end point of its route.

Police said the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, while the bus driver was detained and an FIR was being registered. According to BEST officials, the bus was being driven by Santosh Ramesh Sawant (52), with conductor Bhagwan Bhau Ghare (47) on duty at the time of the incident.

A senior civic official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the accident occurred as the driver was reversing the bus, highlighting operational challenges at the congested terminal. The midi bus involved was a wet-leased vehicle hired from Olectra Greentech, under a model in which the contractor bears the costs of fuel, driver and maintenance.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep anguish over the incident, calling it “extremely unfortunate”, and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased. He also confirmed that nine people were injured and offered prayers for their swift recovery.

The tragedy has reignited concerns over the deployment of midi buses on narrow and crowded routes. Earlier this year, mini buses plying routes connecting Bhandup station to densely populated areas near the Sanjay Gandhi National Park were withdrawn, only for Olectra-made midi buses to be introduced amid a shortage of vehicles, despite constraints such as limited turning space.

Political reactions were swift. Mumbai Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad demanded a thorough inquiry, alleging systemic neglect of the city’s transport lifeline. “Faulty buses, untrained drivers and an administration unwilling to invest in BEST are putting lives at risk every day,” she said.

As Mumbai mourns yet another deadly road accident, the incident casts a harsh spotlight on the city’s strained public transport system and the human cost of its chronic operational challenges.

With PTI inputs