Mumbai BEST bus crash: Girl who began her first job died on way back home; driver says ‘I was confused’ — 5 points

A Mumbai court on Tuesday remanded Sanjay More, the driver of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus involved in a tragic accident that resulted in seven deaths and 42 injuries, in police custody until December 21. The driver has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder following the devastating crash that happened on Monday. Meanwhile, BEST has set up a committee to probe the bus accident and announce compensation for the kin of the deceased.

The bus operated by the civic-run BEST hit several vehicles and pedestrians at around 9.30 pm on Monday on SG Barve Marg, Kurla (West). More, who was at the wheel of the bus, was detained after the accident and later arrested under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The police produced him before a magistrate court and sought his remand for further probe into the accident. The court allowed the police plea and sent More to their custody till December 21. Check all the updates here:

All about the victims

• Afrin Shah, who had just begun her first job that day, was among the seven dead in the BEST bus accident in Mumbai on Monday. Shah was heading home when the tragic accident happened. Unable to find a rickshaw, she called her father, Abdul Salim, who suggested she walk to Kurla station. Just moments later, Salim received a call telling him to go to the hospital. Upon arriving, he discovered Afrin's body.
• Another victim was Kannis Ansari, a nurse, who was coming back from hospital when the accident happened. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The other victims were identified as Anam Sheikh, Shivam Kashyap, Vijay Gaikwad, and Faruq Chaudhari.

Driver says ‘absence of clutch in the automatic vehicle left him confused’

• On how the accident happened, More disclosed that previously he had driven manual transmission buses for a private contractor and was uncomfortable with the automatic transmission of the electric bus, which he had been assigned on December 1, The Times of India reported. He also said that the absence of a clutch in the automatic vehicle left him confused while driving.

What eyewitnesses say

• Meanwhile, eyewitnesses claimed that the bus driver was intoxicated and unable to manage the large vehicle. The police reported that after covering only about 100 metres, the bus began colliding with vehicles, including two-wheelers travelling on the wrong side and two autorickshaws, one of which was completely crushed.
• Even after hitting multiple vehicles, the driver couldn't regain control, ultimately crashing into more pedestrians and vehicles.