The overturned tourist bus near Kanheri Caves, SGNP. Pic/Nimesh Dave

A bus carrying over 30 passengers nearly fell off a slope at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) on Saturday. The forest department bus was ferrying tourists to Kanheri Caves when its brakes failed. It overturned but a clutch of trees prevented it from crashing into the shallow ravine below. Ten passengers were injured, of whom two sustained fractures. The incident took place at 10 am. The 30-seater tourist bus regularly runs inside SGNP. In an attempt to make sure that other vehicles behind the bus were not in harm’s way, the bus driver had the presence of mind to take a sharp left. However, the bus toppled once and fell on its left side. Chief conservator of forest and SGNP director, Ahmed Anwar, said, “The bus’ speed was less on the slope and, when the driver put it in first gear, realised that there was a brake failure. The bus then began going in the reverse direction.”