Kurla bus crash: Had I been two seconds late, I wouldn’t have been alive today, survivors recount horror

Pradeep Dive and Sukharam Paswan, survivors of the accident (right) Injured leg of Sukharam. Pic/Prasun Choudhari

Aman Khan, 24, who was returning from Masjid Bunder to his shop in Kapadia Nagar, was severely injured. He was squeezed between a Qualis car and an auto involved in the accident. Lying on the fourth floor of Bhabha hospital in Kurla West, Aman said, "I work as a helper at a shop in Kapadia Nagar, across from L B S Road. I was returning from Kurla West railway station and walking along S G Barve Road when I saw the bus speeding towards me. It had already hit an auto-rickshaw and swerved towards me. Before I could react, the bus hit me and I was thrown to the ground. Luckily, I rolled over and saved myself."

Aman Khan admitted to Bhabha hospital. Pic/Rajendra B. Aklekar

Another victim, Basheera Shaikh, 58, at Kurla's Bhabha hospital, said she sustained injuries to the back of her head after the speeding bus hit her auto. "I took a shared auto from Kurla station and was on my way for sonography and CT scan when my auto was hit and smashed from behind by some force. It was a heavy vehicle, and we later realised it was a BEST bus. We started shouting and couldn't even get off quickly as our auto was being dragged ahead. There were five of us in the auto, including the rickshaw driver. We later managed to jump off, injuring ourselves. I was lying on the road for some time, and later someone brought us here. One of my gold earrings went missing in the melee," she added.

A narrow escape

Sukharam Paswan, a sweet potato vendor, narrowly escaped the Kurla bus tragedy, which claimed the lives of seven people. Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Paswan is a resident of Shankar Mandir in Kurla, where he sells baked sweet potatoes to earn a living. Describing his near-death experience, Paswan said, "If I had been two seconds late in getting out of the way, I wouldn't have been alive today. The bus hit my sweet potato stall. I consider myself very lucky to be alive. I have minor injuries and 2-3 stitches on my leg."

Mohsin Khan, an auto driver, helped in rescuing the injured (right) Yasmin Ansari, a Kurla resident. Pics/Prasun Choudhari

He added, "The experience was horrifying and traumatic. For a split second, I thought that day would be my last. When the bus passed, I was just inches away from it. The bus hit my stall, then damaged a vehicle parked next to it, and continued on. A young woman, who seemed to be around 19-20 years old, was crushed just moments after the bus hit my stall. The sight was horrifying. Later, after being released from the hospital, I learned that the young woman who was crushed was Afreen Sheikh, whose family lives near the Kurla Bus Depot."

CCTV footage from a shop near the spot, accessed by mid-day, shows Paswan running to save his life. The footage shows Paswan running toward the footpath, then realising that his leg was injured. He sat on the footpath for a brief period. Pradeep Dive, a resident of Buddha Colony, where the bus finally collided and stopped, shared his close call with the accident.

He said, "I was standing near the wall that the bus crashed into. Around 9-9.30 pm, I saw the bus coming towards me and immediately ran to the side, which saved my life. Unfortunately, a woman who works at a clinic next to the building was hit by the bus as she came out of the clinic at the last moment. I'm not sure about her condition, but the experience was very traumatic. I still get horrified just thinking about the accident and what would have happened if I hadn't moved away from the wall."

Eyewitnesses and residents

Yasmin Ansari, a Kurla resident, told mid-day, "These bus drivers don't even think about school children. There's a municipal school just near the spot of the incident. These bus drivers drive at high speed even when school children are leaving or going to school. At least the drivers should understand that the lives of schoolchildren are at risk. What happened was very sad, and strict action should be taken against those responsible."

Pic/Rajendra B. Aklekar

Another shop owner, who requested anonymity, said, "I was in my shop when the incident happened. Around 9.15-9.30 pm, the bus hit a sweet potato stall and then completely crushed a young woman just after hitting the stall. The bus continued. I was about to close my shop and leave when this happened. Luckily, I wasn't on the road."

Rescuer Speak

Mohsin Khan, an auto driver based in Kurla, was on his way home when the accident happened. Describing his rescue attempt, he said, "I saw the bus hitting people and vehicles. Without thinking even for a split second, I stopped my auto and started checking on the survivors. I was able to take at least seven individuals to Bhabha hospital on the night of the incident. The scene was horrifying, with some people completely crushed under the bus. The road is narrow here. I later learned that the bus had finally collided with the wall of a building. Any sane driver would do the same. If a vehicle goes out of control, any sane driver would look for a safe location to crash the vehicle so that it stops."