Mankhurd BEST Bus Tragedy: Pedestrian Killed, 10 Injured As Brake Failure Claim Sparks Fresh Wet-Lease Safety Concerns | Video

Mumbai: A 62-year-old pedestrian was killed and at least 10 people, including the driver and conductor, were injured after a BEST bus allegedly suffered brake failure and crashed into a divider on the Sion-Panvel Highway at Mankhurd on Monday morning.

The non-AC CNG bus on Route 501, operated by Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions Pvt Ltd, was travelling from Kurla (East) Bus Station to Airoli when the accident occurred around 8.30am. According to officials, the driver claimed the brakes failed while the bus was descending the Mankhurd bridge, causing him to lose control.

The bus subsequently rammed into the bridge railing and divider. Bhaskar Raosaheb Kagde, 62, who was standing on the bridge, was struck by the vehicle and died on the spot. His body was sent to Rajawadi Hospital for postmortem.

Driver Banwarilal Sharma, 49, conductor Vaibhav Sukhdev Waghmare, 41, and eight passengers were injured. Passenger Ganesh Patel is stated to be in critical condition. The passengers were shifted to Shatabdi Hospital, while the driver and conductor are undergoing treatment at Rajawadi Hospital.

A BEST official said the bus had to negotiate a steep left turn after descending the flyover before approaching the bus stop and appeared to have lost control there. Another official said the driver had been operating on the route for months and that BEST provides 28 days of training to drivers.

Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash and verify the driver's brake-failure claim.

BEST's preliminary inspection, however, found no technical defect in the bus so far, and the undertaking said no mechanical complaint had been recorded for the vehicle since July 19.

BEST has issued a showcause notice to Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions and imposed a ₹50,000 penalty. The damaged bus has been kept at Mankhurd police station for a detailed technical examination.

The crash has also revived concerns over maintenance and safety standards in BEST's wet-lease fleet following a series of incidents involving alleged brake failures, fires, breakdowns and technical faults.

BEST committee member Ajay Singh said he had earlier raised concerns over the maintenance of contractoroperated buses and written to the administration. He called for regular maintenance and strict inspections, saying passenger safety could not be compromised.

The incident is expected to intensify demands for stricter monitoring of wet-lease operators, stronger vehicle inspections and greater accountability for passenger and roaduser safety.

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