A BEST bus operating on Route 496 collided head-on with a private travel bus in Mulund West early on Saturday, injuring the BEST driver and triggering a minor fire in the vehicle’s bonnet. The collision took place around 5.50am on LBS Marg, where traffic had been restricted to a single lane because of ongoing Metro construction work.
The BEST bus was travelling from SEEPZ towards Teen Hath Naka in Thane when it collided with the oncoming private bus. The vehicle was operated by a wet-lease operator and attached to the Majas depot, according to the report.
The impact caused the steering wheel to strike the abdomen of BEST driver Sandeep Namdev Karande, 40. He suffered heavy bleeding and injuries to his right leg. Authorities said Karande was conscious and in stable condition after the incident.
The collision also caused flames to break out in the bus’s bonnet. The conductor used the onboard fire extinguisher to bring the fire under control before emergency services arrived. Passengers alerted the fire brigade, but the flames had already been doused by the time firefighters reached the spot.
The conductor then took the injured driver to Agarwal Hospital in Mulund for treatment. The report did not mention injuries to passengers or provide further details about the driver of the private travel bus.
The incident occurred along a section of LBS Marg affected by traffic restrictions for Metro construction. With vehicles moving through a single lane, the collision highlights the operational risks faced by public transport services where construction activity and regular traffic share constrained road space. Further details about the cause of the collision and any action by traffic or transport authorities were not available in the supplied report.
