Delhi DTC Bus Loses Course: Freewheeling on Ring Road Kills Two

DELHI: A Delhi Transport Corporation bus in the capital had an unpleasant end on Monday by crushing to death a police constable and a civilian, when the vehicle lost control and rammed into a divider after hitting the victims near Monastery Market on Ring Road.

Delhi Police said the bus was in a bad shape at the time of the mishap. It has now come to light that besides the District Officer, nobody was traveling in the vehicle at the time of the incident. The driver, 57-year-old Vinod Kumar of Ghazipur, has been taken into police custody for questioning.

The FSL team was dispatched to the crime scene for proper analysis immediately on receipt of the distress call. The victims were sent straight to the hospital-in this case, a police constable from Civil Lines Police Station and an unknown civilian. The doctors declared both of them dead after urgent treatment at the hospital.

Delhi Police spokesman said, "The bus was reportedly in a declining state that may have been responsible for the loss of control. Legal actions are ongoing as we investigate what happened in this tragic event."

What did exactly cause the mishap? This is the question of Vinod Kumar, the driver, for which preliminary analyses, though now saying mechanical failures possibly happened, might still be studying other aspects involving the accident.

Shock and grief have also welled up in the hearts of area residents. A shopkeeper, Rajesh Mehra, said with remorse, "It really hurt to see such accidents because that vehicle was not keeping fit. We hope there should be strict measures of this type of tragedy from any corner in the future.".

There is no statement from the DTC as of now about the accident. The issues of an aging fleet of buses are there for long, demanding better maintenance and stricter rules for the safety of both passengers and pedestrians.

As the probe goes on, the Delhi Police has appealed to people not to spread rumors in social media so as not to compromise the investigation going on. "We request everyone to allow the authorities to conduct a proper investigation and provide accurate updates as the situation develops," said the spokesperson.

This tragic incident points out the dire need for increased safety measures and proper checkup on public transport vehicles to avoid such tragedies in the future and to save lives.

Also read: Sharda Sinha's Health Hits a High Note: Folk Icon on Ventilator, Son Anshuman Shares Update