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An eyewitness to Monday's BEST bus crash in Mumbai said the bus swerved over a stretch of 200 metres before hitting several vehicles and pedestrians, claiming six lives and leaving more than 40 other persons injured.
Officials suspect the accident took place on Monday night in the Kurla West area, north east Mumbai, due to a brake failure.
The BrihanMumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking's bus, after ploughing through pedestrians and vehicles, entered into a residential society, Buddha Colony, and came to a halt, they said.
Kurla resident Zaid Ahmed said he was leaving his home to go to the railway station when he heard a loud noise.
"I ran to the spot and saw a BEST bus had hit pedestrians, other vehicles, including an autorickshaw and a three cars. I saw some dead bodies in front of my eyes," Ahmed said.
The driver was speeding and the bus swerved for about 200 metres before it dashed into multiple vehicles on the road, the 26-year-old local resident said.
"We rescued passengers from the autorickshaw and took them to Bhabha Hospital in another three-wheeler. My friends also helped in providing relief to the injured," Ahmed recounted.
Other eyewitnesses said the bus, which was plying on route number 332 from Kurla to Andheri, also rammed into a police vehicle.
The bus was a 12-metre long electric vehicle manufactured by Olectra and it had been taken by BEST on wet lease, an official said.
The drivers of such buses are supplied by the private operator, he said.
"The bus was just three months old. It was registered on August 20 this year in the name of a company called EVEY Trans," an official from the Regional Transport Office said.