2 killed as speeding DTC bus hits multiple vehicles in Delhi; family alleges drivers were racing

New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) Two persons were killed and two were critically injured when a speeding DTC bus, allegedly racing against another bus, hit pedestrians and multiple vehicles on a busy road in outer Delhi's Nihal Vihar on Monday morning, prompting a mob to vandalise vehicles and set ablaze a bus.

The accident, the police said, triggered violent protests during which an angry mob vandalised buses, pelted stones and set one vehicle on fire. However, no immediate response from the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) was received.

The accident on the busy Najafgarh-Nangloi Road sparked chaos and tension in the area as hundreds of residents and family members gathered at the spot, alleging that two DTC buses, which had around 10 passengers onboard, were racing against each other.

The police said the driver, identified as Deepak, of the bus involved in the accident was apprehended and further investigation is underway. The deceased have been identified as Ravikant (32) and Kamaljeet (39), while a 20-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man, identified as Aman, were injured in the crash. They were rushed to Mansa Ram Hospital in Nihal Vihar, the police said.

Police sources said they are checking CCTV to confirm if the buses were involved in reckless driving or any technical malfunction.

According to government data, public transport buses on Delhi's roads were involved in nearly 150 accidents during 2024-25, including about 40 fatal crashes.

Police said that they received a PCR call about the accident at 9.45 am. Initial information suggested that a DTC bus coming from the Najafgarh side had rammed into several vehicles, including a scooter and a motorcycle, and also hit pedestrians on the road.

"Two people have died in the incident, while a man and a woman sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Vikram Singh said in a statement.

He also said that two FIRs have been registered in the entire matter.

"One FIR has been registered against the DTC bus driver Deepak under charges of rash driving and acts endangering human life or personal safety and causing death by negligence. Another FIR has been registered against unidentified persons who were involved in damaging, stone pelting and torching the bus," the statement read.

Witnesses and family members of the victims alleged the crash occurred as the buses were racing against each other to reach the next stop first. According to locals, the driver of the speeding bus lost control while attempting to overtake another bus and rammed into vehicles moving along the road, crushing one of the victims under its wheels.

The impact of the crash led to chaos at the site as commuters and residents gathered in large numbers, blaming reckless driving and alleged competition between bus drivers for the fatal accident.

One of the victims, Kamaljeet, who worked as a salesman, was on his way to his office in Khari Baoli from his home in Nangloi when the accident occurred.

His elder brother Manish alleged that buses frequently race each other on the route in an attempt to reach stops first. "They drive rashly and compete with each other just to save a few minutes. Now who will take responsibility for his death?" he asked. According to Manish, Kamaljeet was the sole caretaker of their elderly parents.

"He was recently divorced and lived with our parents, who are around 60-years-old. He used to take care of them. On Monday morning, he left home for the office like any other day, but he never returned," he said.

Another victim, Ravikant, ran a small transport business and was on his way to work when the accident took place. His brother Shashikant said he was only a few minutes behind Ravikant when the crash happened.

"He was going on his scooter. I was also heading to work and was about 10 minutes behind him. When I reached near the spot, there was a traffic jam and I saw his scooter lying on the road with his belongings scattered all around," he said.

Shashikant also alleged that reckless driving and poor road conditions contributed to the tragedy. "My brother was crushed in the accident. The buses were racing against each other and driving recklessly," he alleged.

The accident triggered anger among local residents, many of whom gathered at the spot and blocked traffic on the stretch.

The police said around 500 people assembled near the accident site shortly after the incident and began protesting against the alleged negligence of the bus driver. The protest soon turned violent as some members of the crowd vandalised the bus involved in the accident. The police said the mob also targeted another DTC bus approaching the area from the Nangloi side and set it on fire.

Videos circulating on social media showed a DTC bus engulfed in flames as people stood around recording the incident on their mobile phones while police sirens blared in the background. Sources said six passengers were inside the bus that was torched, but they were asked to get down before the vehicle was set ablaze.

Some protesters also allegedly pelted stones at buses and other vehicles passing through the area, damaging several vehicles and leading to heavy traffic congestion on both sides of the Najafgarh-Nangloi Road.

According to the police, at least five buses parked near the site also suffered minor damage during the unrest. The police said additional force was rushed to the area to bring the situation under control. Senior police officers, including Joint Commissioner of Police (Western Range) Jatin Narwal also reached the spot and supervised the deployment of personnel to disperse the crowd and restore traffic movement.

The police said the situation was later brought under control and heavy police presence has been maintained in the area to prevent further escalation.

Visuals from the accident site showed extensive damage to the rear portion of the bus involved in the crash. The bumper of the bus appeared broken and partially dislodged, with pieces of plastic material scattered on the road behind it.

Parts of the front portion of the bus were also hanging loose, with cables and wires dangling from the damaged section. A scooter parked nearby was also badly 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," an officer of the DFS said.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as the bus rammed into vehicles and pedestrians.

"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 present at the spot pushed the bus back after the accident so that the injured man could be pulled out from underneath the vehicle.

"We tried calling the police and an ambulance but no one answered. We even tried stopping passing cars to take him to hospital but no one stopped," Sharma claimed.

He said the injured victim was eventually taken to a nearby hospital in an e-rickshaw. The police said the driver of the bus involved in the accident has been apprehended and further legal action is being taken. PTI BM SSJ MNK MNK