Dadar BEST bus crash: Mumbai Mayor visits 22-year-old seriously injured biker at Sion Hospital, directs Rs 2 lakh aid

Mayor Ritu Tawde speaks to the family members of Rishabh Gupta at Sion hospital. PIC/BMC

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Committee Chairperson Trishna Vishwasrao on Monday visited the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) to enquire about the health condition of 22-year-old Rishabh Gupta, who was seriously injured in the BEST bus accident near Plaza Cinema in Dadar, Mumbai, earlier in the day.

Gupta is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the civic-run hospital.

During the visit, the Mumbai Mayor and the BEST Committee chairperson met Gupta's mother Rama and other family members and assured them of all possible support.

The two directed the hospital administration to ensure that Gupta receives the best possible medical treatment and said that the entire cost of his treatment would be borne by the administration.

They also instructed the BEST bus contractor concerned to provide an immediate financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to Gupta's family. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the direction was issued directly to the contractor over the telephone from the hospital premises.

BMC Director (Medical Education and Major Hospitals) Dr Shailesh Mohite and Sion Hospital Dean Dr Pramod Ingale were present during the visit.

Police register FIR, launch probe into Dadar BEST bus accident

The development comes hours after a BEST electric bus lost control and rammed into multiple vehicles near Kotwal Garden in Dadar West on Monday morning.

According to police, the accident occurred around 9.30 am when the bus collided with several vehicles before coming to a halt. The vehicles involved included an Activa, an electric bike, a taxi, a Maruti Baleno car and an electric car.

The 28-year-old biker of the electric scooter, Niayz Ahemed, was declared brought dead at the hospital. Six others, including Gupta, were injured in the crash. The condition of the other five injured is said to be stable.

The impact of the accident caused extensive damage to the vehicles and briefly disrupted traffic movement in the area.

Mumbai Police have registered a first information report (FIR) in connection with the accident and taken the bus driver into custody for further investigation. Officials said a probe is underway to ascertain the circumstances that led to the accident.