A man standing on the footboard of an AC bus was flung off on the road as the door malfunctioned and suddenly opened at the Moulali crossing on Tuesday morning.

Police said the incident happened on a crowded CIT Road when the volume of traffic was high. Fortunately, the man who fell on the road was rescued before he was hit by other vehicles.

Eyewitnesses said the bus’s door suddenly flung open as it was taking a left turn from CIT Road towards SN Banerjee Road.

Sources said at least five others, who were inside the bus, also slipped and fell on the road but only one of them received injuries serious enough for hospitalisation.

Wassim Hossain, 28, a resident of Tiljala Road, received multiple injuries and was taken to NRS Medical College and Hospital. He was discharged from the hospital after first-aid.

The bus that runs on route number 24A/1 plies between Golabari in Howrah and Anandapur along EM Bypass.

Police sources said it was run by a private operator.

Traffic cops who were on duty said as the bus swung to turn left heading for SN Banerjee Road, the man who was leaning on the door, was flung off on the road as the door came off.

Traffic cops intercepted the bus and took it to the local Entally police station. The driver, however, fled from the spot.

A case has been registered against the driver for alleged rash and negligent driving.

“A probe has been launched to establish if the bus had any mechanical fault. We will examine if there was too much pressure on the door or if it was defective,” said
an officer of Entally police
station.

The police said passengers often lean on the doors of a moving bus without any inkling how dangerous it could be. “Ideally, we should not take this kind of risk. If a bus is ill maintained, the door may come off any moment and the consequences could be disastrous,” said an officer of the traffic department.

Cops said they would examine the private operator who was running the bus and check if the maintenance of the vehicle was as per the standard protocol.

A senior officer said buses often cause accidents because of rash and negligent driving.

He said the accident on Tuesday may have been averted had the bus not been moving at a high speed.

The transport department has identified the private operator that runs the bus. It has sought an explanation about the malfunctioning bus door, said sources in the transport department.