20 July,2026 01:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The bus rammed into the roadside divider, leaving three people injured. Pic/ Screengrab
How many more lives will be lost before BEST bus crashes are brought under control? Less than a month after the fatal Dadar BEST bus accident, another deadly crash has reignited concerns over commuter and pedestrian safety in Mumbai.
A 62-year-old pedestrian was killed and 10 others, including the bus driver and conductor, were injured after a BEST bus reportedly suffered a brake failure and crashed into the railing on Mankhurd Bridge on Monday morning, officials said.
According to the Traffic Control Room (Wadala), the accident occurred at around 8.30 am when BEST bus Route No. 501/34 (Bus No. MH-01 EM-3777) was travelling from Kurla Bus Station East to Airoli.
According to the driver's statement, the bus's brakes failed, causing it to veer out of control and crash into the bridge railing. During the accident, the bus struck a pedestrian standing near the bridge.
The victim, identified as Bhaskar Raosaheb Kagde (62), died on the spot. His body was shifted to Rajawadi Hospital for further legal formalities.
Ten people sustained injuries in the crash, including passengers, the driver and the conductor.
The injured passengers, Shivmangal Maity (42), Ganesh Patel (24), Lata Waghela (42), Rajesh Varuganiye (35), Ankita Jadhav (22), Ranjana Ghorpade (53), Shankar Sathe (47) and Sanket Nakti (25), were admitted to Shatabdi Hospital for treatment.
The bus driver, Banwarilal Sharma (49), and conductor, Vaibhav Sukhdev Waghmare (41), were shifted to Rajawadi Hospital.
Hospital officials said Ganesh Patel (24) is in critical condition and has been advised to be shifted to Sion Hospital for advanced treatment.
Police have directed that the damaged bus be towed to Mankhurd Police Station, Jakat Naka, as part of the investigation.
The Traffic Control Room said officials from the Deonar, Shivajinagar and Ghatkopar depots, along with Accident Officer Jadhav (TO-21), have been assigned to oversee the case.
Officials from Mateshwari have also appointed Officer Shirodkar to coordinate the response and further proceedings.
Police are investigating the exact cause of the accident. The claim of brake failure is based on the bus driver's statement, and the circumstances surrounding the crash are being examined.
In a separate incident in June, a 28-year-old was killed and six others injured, one of them critically, after a BEST bus on Route 463/31 crashed into a car and a two-wheeler near Veer Kotwal Garden, close to Plaza Cinema in Dadar West.
The accident was reported at around 10.45 am, and seven people were taken to Sion Hospital, where one was declared dead on arrival.
As per information received from Dr Randhir, assistant medical officer (AMO), Sion Hospital, the victim was identified as Niayz Ahemed, an electric scooter rider.
Another biker, Vrishabh Gupta (22), was admitted in a critical condition.
The other injured was in stable condition. They were identified as Amit Mhatre (41), a pedestrian; BEST inspectors Mahesh Doiphode (50) and Satish Waghambare (48); bus conductor Rajendra Pelekar (57), and driver Vikas Padare (42).
Padare was taken into custody following treatment, officials said.
