BEST bus accident claims one life, two days after Bhandup crash

The truck involved, officials said, bore Gujarat registration GJ-02 ZZ 7899.

A 30-year-old truck driver was killed in a serious early-morning road accident involving a BEST wet-lease electric bus and a private truck near Gate No. 5 of Aarey Colony on Thursday.

The collision occurred around 6.20 am on January 1, when the BEST electric bus, operating on Route A-478 and attached to the Vikhroli depot, was travelling from Vikhroli Depot towards Borivali Station (East). According to preliminary information shared by BEST and police officials, the accident took place near the Aarey Colony market area, where a private truck approaching from the opposite direction allegedly lost control on a rain-soaked, slippery road and veered into the bus.

The bus, bearing registration number MH-01 EW 3376, was hit on its front-right portion near the driver’s cabin, causing extensive damage to the windshield and front section. The truck involved, officials said, bore Gujarat registration GJ-02 ZZ 7899.

The truck driver, identified as Cheharaj Thakur (30), a resident of Gujarat, sustained severe injuries in the impact. He was rushed along with the BEST bus driver and conductor to Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari (East). Hospital officials said Thakur succumbed to his injuries during treatment, while the two BEST staff members continue to receive medical care.

The BEST bus driver, Mohammad Rafiq Shaikh (48), suffered a head injury on the left side and injuries to his right leg and knee, reportedly caused by shattered glass from the broken windshield. The bus conductor, Ravindra Pandurang Shembadkar (56), sustained minor injuries to his left hand and leg. BEST officials said the driver underwent a CT scan and is conscious and stable.

Confirming the sequence of events, a BEST official said, “Preliminary assessment suggests the accident occurred due to slippery road conditions following rainfall. The private truck appears to have lost control before colliding with the bus. Both BEST staff members were immediately provided medical assistance.”

Officials said the bus involved was a wet-lease electric vehicle operated by EV Trans, while both the driver and conductor were BEST employees. Police have begun recording statements and are examining factors such as road conditions, vehicle speed and visibility at the time of the crash.

The fatal accident comes just two days after another major BEST bus accident near Bhandup railway station (West), where a bus rammed into passengers waiting at a bus stop late on December 29, killing four people and injuring ten others, prompting BEST to order an internal inquiry into that incident.