Mumbai: More than 30 people on board a bus operated by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) had a narrow escape when the bus met with an accident near the Kanheri Caves on Saturday.
According to officials, the incident occurred around 9.30 a.m. on the road leading to Kanheri Caves, a popular tourist hotspot and weekend destination on the city’s outskirts. According to inquiries conducted by the Forest Department, the accident occurred due to a malfunction of the bus’ brakes.
“There were 32 passengers on the bus, which was negotiating a steep incline just before Kanheri Caves. The bus driver saw a group of young boys coming down the slope on bicycles and stopped to let them pass. When he started the vehicle again, the brakes did not work and the bus started slipping backwards down the slope. The driver saw a car behind him in the rear view mirror and swerved to the edge of the road to avoid hitting it, causing the bus to turn over on its side,” Anwar Ahmed, Chief Conservator of Forests, said.
The bus’ driver and attendant and the passengers were rushed to Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali, where the attendant, who sustained a fracture to his left arm, was admitted. Ten passengers were treated for minor injuries and discharged.
The SGNP has informed the Kasturba Marg police about the incident. “We will be recording the driver’s statement and will wait for the final report of the SGNP inquiry, after which we will decide on further course of action,” an officer with Kasturba Marg police station said.
Mr. Ahmed added, “The SGNP operates four buses between Park and Kanheri Caves, and we have issued instructions to subject all buses to a full maintenance check before any of them are operated again.”
