‘An accident waiting to happen’: Anger outside post-mortem room as families mourn 4 killed by BEST bus in Mumbai’s Bhandup

Anger and grief simmered among the families waiting outside the post-mortem centre of Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar, Tuesday morning. Four people, including three women and a man, were killed after a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus rammed into pedestrians near Mumbai’s Bhandup West railway station late Monday night.

Here is what the relatives of the victims had to say after the accident.

Having picked up her 12-year-old daughter, Purva, from her dance class in Dadar, Pranita Sandip Rasam was on her way back home. After the train journey to Bhandup, they waited in line to catch the bus from the Bhandup station, as was routine.

“Someone at the site of the accident used Pranita’s phone to call her husband Sandip,” said Nilesh, a relative. “Pranita had died, but the girl was only injured.”

A distressed Sandip arrived at the Rajawadi Hospital, their 7-year-old  child waiting at home. Pranita, a homemaker, was declared dead at the hospital, and her post-mortem was conducted Tuesday morning.

Purva, whose leg was fractured, was admitted to the private Minaz Hospital in Bhandup. “Her daughter has still not been told about her mother’s death, as that would devastate her,” said the uncle.

Friends and neighbours of Varsha Sawant gathered outside Rajawadi, hoping to comfort the family after the death of a bright young nurse.

On Monday, Varsha was returning from her cousin’s wedding in Satara, her village. While her mother and younger sister stayed back, she caught the bus towards Mumbai early Monday morning, in time to make it for nurse duty at a hospital Tuesday morning.

The bus dropped her at Sion, from where she took the train to the Bhandup station, and stood in line for the bus, when the accident occurred. She was then taken to M T Agarwal Hospital, where she was declared dead.

“Varsha lived with her parents and two sisters in Bhandup, who were all very proud of the work she did,” said Santosh Shirke from her village. On being told of the news, her mother and sister were on their way back.

A senior nurse at Sion Hospital, Mansi was returning back home from her shift at the hospital. This was her routine to take a BEST bus home, said her younger brother Kamlesh, whose eyes had turned red.

“Her two daughters, one in the Class 12 and other in Class 11, were waiting for her back home. Her husband is in shock, so I have come to help,” said Kamlesh, also a resident of Bhandup.

Mansi was first taken to M T Agarwal Hospital, where she was declared dead. Her body was then bought to the post-mortem centre at Rajawadi.

“We have spent the entire night waiting for my sister’s body, going from one hospital to another. No one has come to help us. BEST must be held accountable for such a massive incident,” he said.

Prashant Shinde, a traffic warden for the past five years, had just finished a shift at Ghatkopar and was on his way back home Monday night. Like the others, he boarded a train to Bhandup, and then stood for the bus.

“Prashant had his wife and 10-year-old son waiting for him at home, but he never made it back,” said his brother Rajesh. “The boy keeps asking for his father.”

Lifelong residents of Bhandup, the brothers lived in close proximity. Prashant was declared brought dead at M T Agarwal Hospital, and then transferred to Rajawadi for the post-mortem.

“The area outside Bhandup station was an area where an accident was waiting to happen,” said Rajesh.

“The lanes are narrow, autos parked everywhere, hawkers occupying footpaths and the roads, making it cramped and difficult to manoeuvre. This is a repeat of the Kurla bus accident (nine people died in an accident involving a BEST bus on December 9, 2024).”