KOLKATA: On the day bus services in Bengal resumed after being suspended for a month-and-a-half, an accident involving a mini-bus claimed the life of a policeman travelling on a motorcycle. As the bus violently jolted forward, around 18 people on board were injured, two of them seriously. But their condition is stated to be stable.
The mini-bus on the Metiabruz-Howrah route was on its way to Howrah with 40 passengers on board when the accident took place near the East Gate of Fort William on Red Road around Thursday noon. The driver was suspected to be rash as 89 traffic rule violation cases were recorded against the mini-bus within the 15 months it operated, an officer said.
The bus, which was reportedly travelling at a breakneck speed, had to turn a right turn towards Dufferin Road after reaching the Outram Road intersection with Red Road. But the driver lost control of the vehicle and the bus hit the motorcycle that constable Vivekananda Deb was riding and rammed into the balustrade by the road. The driver apparently hit the wall intentionally so that the vehicle could be brought to a stop. So severe was the impact that the bus’s front axle, along with the wheels, came off. “The biker was standing on the left lane of Red Road to turn into Outram Road when the bus ploughed through him. The bike, along with the rider, was dragged under the bus,” said a bystander.
Deb was brought out and taken to SSKM Hospital, where he was declared death. A resident of Jhargram, Deb was posted with the Reserve Force of Kolkata Police.
Among those injured on the bus, 16 people were hospitalized. Among them, seven were treated and discharged late in the evening.
“The accident could have happened due to speeding. Or it could have been a mechanical snag as the bus was not operated for the past 45 days. The driver hit the wall intentionally to stop the vehicle. The biker unfortunately came in the way. We are probing all the angles and checking footage from CCTV cameras around. Once we interrogate the driver, the exact nature of the accident can be established,” said a Lalbazar officer.
While the Maidan police began initial investigations, the case was later transferred to the fatal squad of Kolkata traffic police. Police said the bus driver was among the injured, but they were yet to establish his identity.
