A 60-year-old farmer was killed on Friday evening after the luggage compartment lid of a Shivshahi bus suddenly opened and struck him on the Palghar-Manor road in Maharashtra, according to police. The incident occurred as the man was walking home after visiting relatives.
The deceased was identified as Subhash Pagi, a resident of Chahade-Sajjanpada in Palghar. He had travelled to Devkhop on Friday morning to visit relatives and was returning home when the bus passed by.
Police said the Shivshahi bus was travelling from the Palghar depot towards Swargate via Manor at around 5.15 pm when its luggage compartment lid opened. The lid struck Pagi with force, leaving him seriously injured. He collapsed on the road and was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Pagi is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. His death has left the family facing a difficult situation, the report said.
The complaint was lodged with Palghar police by Pagi’s son-in-law, Anil Girhane. Police are investigating the circumstances that caused the luggage compartment lid to open while the bus was in motion.
The incident has brought attention to the safety risks posed when moving public buses develop mechanical or equipment-related faults on busy roads. However, the police investigation has not yet established whether the lid opened because of a mechanical failure, a fastening problem or another cause.
The exact sequence of events, including the condition of the bus and the luggage compartment mechanism, is expected to be examined as part of the police probe.
