Six injured as ST bus crashes into tree

Thane, Sep 7 (PTI) Five passengers and the driver of a state transport bus headed to Alephata in Pune district were injured on Sunday when the vehicle veered off a road in Thane district and crashed into a tree, police said.

The incident occurred near Murbad in the morning after the steering rod of the bus, en route to Alephata via Malshej Ghat, broke.

A major tragedy was averted as the bus with 25 passengers aboard was passing through a flat and less populated stretch of the road, a police officer said.

"The steering rod of the bus snapped suddenly, making it impossible for the driver to control the vehicle. Fortunately, due to the driver's alertness and the flat terrain, the bus was able to avoid overturning and came to a halt after hitting a tree," said an official.

The left side of the bus sustained visible damage, and the passengers were thrown from their seats due to the impact, resulting in minor injuries.

"The accident could have been catastrophic if the failure had occurred just a few kilometers ahead on the Malshej Ghat section, which is known for its sharp turns and steep gradients," said one of the passengers, still shaken from the incident.

The injured passengers were taken to a local hospital and discharged after treatment.

This is not an isolated event involving a Kalyan Depot bus.

Just two months ago, a front wheel of an ST bus detached near Goveli on the Kalyan-Murbad road, causing it to drag along the road surface. Several passengers had sustained minor injuries in that incident. PTI COR NSK