A BEST bus accident in Worli killed a 60-year-old woman after she came into contact with the vehicle’s rear tyre at the ST Office traffic signal on Monday morning, September 7, according to the BEST Command and Control Centre and an accident report cited by Mid-Day.
The woman, identified as Vanmala Sabale, was reportedly getting out of a taxi that was standing alongside the bus while the traffic signal was red. When the signal turned green, the bus moved forward and Sabale came into contact with its left rear tyre, according to the report.
The incident occurred at around 11.25 am at the ST Office traffic signal in Worli. The bus was operating on route A-154/42 from Byculla railway station towards Lotus Junction. It bore registration number MH-03-CV-5796 and was being driven by a wet-lease driver attached to the Mumbai Central depot.
Sabale suffered severe head injuries and bleeding from her head and ear. The bus conductor took her to Nair Hospital after the incident, but doctors declared her dead at around 12.15 pm, before treatment could begin.
BEST officials, including the assistant depot managers of the Worli and Central depots, an accident officer identified as Lad, and representatives of the wet-lease operator, were sent to the accident site and the hospital following the incident, according to the report.
The authorities concerned are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision. The available report does not state whether any case has been registered, whether the driver has been detained or whether traffic-camera footage has been reviewed.
The incident is the latest reported accident involving a BEST bus in Mumbai. Earlier in July, a BEST CNG bus struck a road divider in Borivali East after its driver allegedly swerved to avoid a motorcyclist who entered the bus’s path from the left lane without warning, officials said.
That earlier incident took place at around 11.20 pm near the Daulat Nagar bus stop while the bus was travelling from Vaishali Nagar to Borivali East. The bus was later removed by a towing vehicle and taken to the Magathane depot. No injuries to passengers, crew members or other road users were reported in that incident.
The investigation into the Worli death remains ongoing, with BEST officials and representatives of the wet-lease operator involved in the follow-up process.
