Truck driver dies after BEST bus collides with his vehicle; 3 injured

Mumbai, Jan 1 (PTI) The driver of a truck was killed and three others were injured after a bus operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) collided with his vehicle in Mumbai's Aarey Colony area on Thursday morning, officials said.

The accident occurred at 6.20 am near Gate 5 of Aarey Colony, opposite a bakery on Aarey Road.

The bus going from Vikhroli depot towards Borivali East, rammed into the truck running from the opposite direction, they said.

A spokesperson of the BEST said that the two vehicles collided as the road surface had turned slippery due to the rains witnessed in the morning.

"The impact left the truck driver trapped between the steering wheel and the seat. Fire brigade personnel later rescued him using specialised equipment and rushed him to a civic-run trauma care hospital," he said.

The truck driver, identified as Keraji P Thakur (30), a resident of Gujarat, was declared dead at the hospital, a civic official said.

His assistant, Suresh Parmar (28), sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. His condition is stable.

Driver of the BEST bus, Mohammad Rafiq Shaikh (48), suffered injuries to his head and leg and was admitted to a hospital, while the bus conductor, Ravindra Pandurang Shembadkar (52), sustained minor injuries and was discharged after treatment, the official said.

The BEST spokesperson said that police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances leading to the accident. PTI KK NP