• The bus driver, Rajesh Sahu, has succumbed to his injuries

A horrible bus accident was caught on traffic close circuit camera at the Nwonagar area on Katwa-Birbhum state highway in East Burdwan district in West Bengal on Sunday afternoon.

The footage shows that a public bus filled to capacity and with passengers seated even on top of the vehicle turns turtle after it lost control while moving at a considerably high speed. So far, one passenger has reportedly lost his life and some 40 others are injured.

The conditions of three injured passengers are reported to be critical. All injured passengers have been admitted at the Katwa Sub-division hospital.

The identity of the deceased passenger is yet to be established.Initial reports from police suggest that the accident is likely to have been caused by the shocker-suspension gear underneath the front right wheel of the bus giving away under its heavy load and high speed.

The driver and the conductor of the ill-fated bus managed to escape after the accident.“The bus was moving at a high speed. Before we could understand anything, it suddenly skidded off the road and toppled over with all the passengers inside. I managed to get out of the bus somehow and then lent a hand in rescuing passengers who were stuck inside and crying for help,” said Ramesh Bhnui, a passenger.

Meanwhile, closer to Calcutta, a bus carrying a picnic party lost control rammed against the rear end of a stationary truck on Raja Road in Sodepur, North 24 Parganas resulting in a critical injury of the driver.The accident took place at around 7.45 pm on Sunday.

Eyewitnesses said that the bus, which was privately hired by the picnic party and was headed for Titagarh, was moving at a high speed and failed to apply brakes at the Raja Road traffic signal on time and collided with the truck which was standing at the signal. The impact resulted in the front portion of the bus getting severely damaged and crushing the driver’s legs.

Several passengers, some of who were children, also sustained injures as a result of the impact. The exact number of injured could not be ascertained.

All injured passengers and crew have been moved to hospital by the police. Both accidents have once again raised questions on possible violations of the mandatory periodic maintenance and roadworthiness of public vehicles which ply on the roads of Bengal.