DTC bus mows down 2 in Nangloi
Two people were killed, and a woman was injured after a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus hit multiple vehicles and pedestrians on the Najafgarh-Nangloi Road in Outer Delhi on Monday morning, triggering protests in which angry locals set the bus on fire and damaged several others. The accident occurred around 9:45 am near the Kamaruddin Nagar village turn in the Nihal Vihar police station area.
According to police, a DTC cluster bus (DL 1 PD 6223) coming from the Najafgarh side first hit an e-rickshaw and then rammed into a scooty, a motorcycle, a hand rickshaw, and pedestrians walking along the road.
Three pedestrians were seriously injured in the collision. They were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Two of the injured later died during treatment, while a woman is still undergoing treatment for her injuries.
One of the deceased has been identified as Ravikant, a 33-year-old resident of Nihal Vihar. Police said he originally belonged to the state of Bihar. According to preliminary information, Ravikant came from a family engaged in the transport business. He was reportedly on his way to a company in Nangloi around 9:30 am when the accident occurred. The injured and deceased were taken to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, while the injured woman is undergoing treatment at Mansa Ram Hospital.
The accident sparked heavy anger among local residents. Soon after the crash, a large crowd gathered at the spot and began protesting. According to police, around 500 people assembled at the site and set the bus involved in the accident on fire.
Another DTC bus (DL 1 PD 5674), which was approaching from the Nangloi side, was also found burnt during the violence. In addition, five other buses on the route suffered minor damage as angry protesters vandalised vehicles after the accident. Police teams reached the spot within 5 to 10 minutes and managed to bring the situation under control. Authorities said the driver of the bus has been detained for questioning.
Police have started an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident. Officials are also examining whether speeding or negligent driving led to the crash. The police said that legal action is being taken in the case as per the law.
The incident caused a temporary disruption on the busy Najafgarh-Nangloi Road as emergency teams and police cleared the damaged vehicles and restored traffic movement. Officials said further investigation is underway, and more details will emerge after statements of witnesses and the driver are recorded. The situation in the area is currently under control, police added.
The brother of one of the two men killed in a DTC bus accident in West Delhi alleged that rash driving by the driver, who was racing against another bus to overtake it, led to the tragedy as he mourned the death of the 39-year-old, the sole caretaker of their elderly parents.
His elder brother Manish said the family is struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss. “He was recently divorced and lived with our parents, who are around 60 years old, in Nangloi. He used to take care of them. On Monday morning, he left home for the office like any other day, but he never returned,” Manish said.
Alleging negligence, he claimed that buses often race against each other on the stretch without caring about public safety. “They drive rashly and compete with each other just to save a few minutes. Now who will take responsibility for his death? Our parents are old and completely shattered. They cannot bear such pain at this stage of their lives,” he said.
