At least eight people were injured in a bus accident after the driver of the private bus, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a metro pillar in the MIDC area in Andheri East. The incident occurred at around 11 am on Sunday. A complaint against the bus driver, identified as Dilipkumar Chavan, 40, was filed at the MIDC police station, and the driver was arrested.
According to the complaint filed by one of the passengers, Vijay Parab, 73, a resident of Mira Road, they had booked a private bus to attend the engagement ceremony of their neighbour Saurabh Mhatre at the Shubharambh Banquet Hall, located in Thane. A police officer said, “At around 11 am, when the bus reached near a metro pillar in Andheri East, the driver attempted to stop at a signal but lost control. The bus rammed directly into the pillar.”
Police have identified the injured as Parab, who was seated near the driver; his granddaughter Aarohi; his daughter Kavya Kanse; and passengers Hanumant Wagh, Nisha Sawant, Pallavi Gujar, Sneha Thorve, and Shalini Gujar. Police said that Shalini suffered a nasal bone fracture and rib injuries. Local residents and MIDC police rushed to the scene and helped shift the injured to Trauma Care Hospital.
Police said an FIR has been registered against the bus driver, and he has been arrested, adding that further investigation into the matter has been launched. According to the police, a medical test of the bus driver confirmed that the driver was drunk at the time of the accident. The bus was also heavily damaged in the incident.
