A 45-year-old woman, who was the only bread earner of her family, was killed and 23 other passengers were injured when a DTC electric bus rammed into a metro pillar in west Delhi on Monday morning.
According to the police, a PCR call was received at 7.42 am at the Punjabi Bagh police station regarding a bus accident near Shivaji Park Metro Station on Rohtak Road. DCP West Vichitra Veer said, “The concerned agencies promptly responded to the call. Upon arrival, it was found that a DTC electric bus, bearing number DL 51 EV 2862, plying on Route 939 between Mangolpuri and Anand Vihar, had collided with Metro Pillar 146.”
He added that due to sudden braking, an auto-rickshaw, numbered DL 1RS 4417, also collided with the bus from behind. The accident has left a total of 24 passengers, including the driver and conductor, reportedly injured.
“About 14 passengers were shifted to Maharaja Aggarsen Hospital, while 10 passengers were taken to Acharya Bhikshu Hospital in Moti Nagar. Unfortunately, one female passenger, aged approximately 45 years, was declared brought dead at Aggarsen Hospital. Another injured passenger, aged about 55 years, is currently in the ICU at Aggarsen Hospital,” the DCP added.
Further, an FIR under sections 281 (negligent driving) and 125A (endangering the life of others) and section 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered in the matter at the Punjabi Bagh police station.
“PCR Van and emergency response vehicles had reached the spot within short time, for assistance and evacuation. A crime team was called to the spot for inspection. The reason for the accident will be established based on the crime team's report and mechanical inspection of the vehicle," DCP Veer said.
A DTC official, however, claimed that "the bus was running in its designated lane". "A motorcyclist and an auto rickshaw driver suddenly made a right turn.
To avoid an accident, the bus driver (of the DTC electric bus) also took a right turn but it ultimately hit the metro pillar," the official said.
A senior police officer said that the statements of the bus driver and conductor have been recorded. "We are also recording the statements of passengers for more clarity on how the accident took place,” the officer said. The police teams will also check the footage of the CCTV inside the bus and nearby area to know about the sequence of events.
A senior officer stated, “The bus driver, in his statement, claimed that he lost control over the vehicle when all of sudden a motorcycle and an auto rickshaw ahead of the bus took a sharp right turn. The driver told police that he tried to stop the vehicle to avoid any collusion.”
A senior police officer said that teams have been formed to investigate the entire matter and efforts are on to get more details about the passengers.
“So far we know that the woman who died in the accident was the sole bread-earner of her family. Her family members are in deep shock," the officer said.
The police will also probe if the bus driver was over speeding or if there was any technical fault in the vehicle due to which it rammed with a metro pillar, the officer said.
