A police constable died and 13 others suffered injuries on Thursday when a bus carrying passengers hit the wall adjoining a gate of Fort William -- the Army's Eastern Command headquarters -- with its driver having lost control on the wheels, an officer said.

The minibus, which was on its way to Howrah from Metiabruz, mowed down the motorcycle-borne police constable before it crashed into the brick wall of the British-era fort near Hastings area around 12.30 pm, he said.

Vivekananda Dab, who was employed with the Calcutta Police Reserve Force, was declared 'brought dead' by doctors at the nearby SSKM hospital, the officer said.

"We had to use a crane to pull him out from under the bus," he explained.

Passengers who sustained injuries were also taken to the state-run SSKM hospital, and the condition of at least four of them have been stated to be "critical", the officer said.

"It seems the brakes had failed, and the driver, in its bid to stop the speeding bus, hit a tree and then the brick wall," he added.

Calcutta Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra, who visited the site of the accident, said the matter was being looked into, and more details will be available after a thorough investigation.