2 killed as speeding DTC bus hits multiple vehicles in Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) Two people were killed and another injured after a speeding DTC bus rammed into multiple vehicles in Delhi's Nihal Vihar on Monday, police said.

The incident triggered protests during which an angry mob vandalised the bus involved in the accident and set another DTC bus on fire, police said, adding that the driver has been apprehended.

Police said they received a call at 9.45 am reporting that a DTC bus coming from the Najafgarh side had hit a scooter, a motorcycle, a hand-rickshaw and some pedestrians on the Najafgarh-Nangloi Road.

"So far, it has been confirmed that two people have died in the incident, while a woman sustained serious injuries and was taken to Mansa Ram Hospital in Nihal Vihar," a senior officer said.

Around 500 people gathered at the spot soon after the incident and began protesting. They damaged the bus involved in the accident and torched another DTC bus coming from the Nangloi side, the officer said.

According to DTC officials, five more buses parked near the site also suffered minor damage.

Police said the situation is now under control, and heavy security has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

A video circulating on social media purportedly showed a DTC bus engulfed in flames as people nearby recorded the scene on their mobile phones, with police sirens audible in the background.

Sources said around six passengers were inside the bus that was torched, but they were asked to get down before the vehicle was set ablaze.

Visuals from the spot showed extensive damage to the rear portion of the bus, particularly around the bumper and undercarriage. The bumper appeared broken and dislodged, with pieces of plastic material scattered on the road behind the vehicle.

Parts of the front portion of the bus were also hanging loose, with cables or wires dangling near the damaged section.

A scooter parked nearby was also damaged, with its front portion smashed and the rear-view mirror broken.

The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said it received a call regarding a bus on fire at around 10 am. "A bus was found engulfed in flames, and the windows of some other vehicles were damaged. The fire was completely extinguished by 11 am," a DFS officer said.

Some eyewitnesses alleged that the authorities did not respond to calls made immediately after the incident.

"I was passing by when I saw a bus hitting several vehicles. It also ran over a man," said Deepak Sharma, an eyewitness.

He said people gathered at the scene pushed the bus back, after which the man was pulled out from underneath the vehicle. "We tried calling the police and an ambulance, but no one answered," he alleged.

He also said that they tried to stop passing cars to take the injured man to the hospital, but no one stopped.

"Eventually, we took him to the nearby hospital in an e-rickshaw. The victim was gasping for breath, but the hospital authorities asked us to take him to a higher centre," Sharma further said.

Another eyewitness said that after the entire incident, there was heavy traffic on both sides of the road.

Police have so far not shared the details of the deceased. PTI BM SSH SSJ MSJ RHL