New Delhi, March 25 – A speeding tourist bus from Jaipur overturned near Hanuman Mandir in Karol Bagh's Jhandewalan area early Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of two passengers and injuries to 23 others, police said.
A police officer at the scene said the bus lost control while negotiating a turn at a roundabout near the Hanuman Mandir, before overturning.
He said he was on traffic duty when he and his colleagues heard a loud noise and a cloud of dust near the roundabout.
"We rushed to the spot and saw people crying for help. There was no emergency exit in the bus. Several people were trying to break the glass windows in a desperate attempt to get out. The bus was heading towards Mori Gate," the officer said.
The bus owner claimed the driver lost control while trying to avoid an auto-rickshaw and a speeding motorcycle.
A rescue operation was immediately launched, and police teams at the scene used a JCB to lift the bus.
A PCR call also alerted the Karol Bagh Police Station, with the caller reporting that several passengers were trapped inside the bus after an accident.
The bus, which was bound for Delhi, had approximately 30 passengers on board, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh.
The Delhi Fire Services also received a call about the incident at 1:10 am.
Gokul, an eyewitness, said, "Thank God, a police picket was recently installed there to divert traffic. Due to the police presence, a major accident was averted."
A team led by the Karol Bagh SHO, Delhi Fire Services personnel, picket staff, and the night patrolling team rushed to the scene and helped the trapped passengers with the help of locals, he said.
Around 10 injured were taken to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and were later discharged. Twelve were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and one to Lady Hardinge Medical College, the police said.
Two male passengers succumbed to their injuries at RML Hospital, the officer said.
The deceased were identified as Shehbaj Alam, 30, from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, and Mahesh, 22, from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.
The bus driver, Pankaj Kumar, 26, from Alwar in Rajasthan, is being treated at RML Hospital.
Pankaj Kumar has been booked under sections 281 (reckless driving), 125 (endangering the life or personal safety of others), and 106 (causing death by negligence) at the Karol Bagh police station. Police are also investigating whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol.
"Further investigation is underway, and details of the injured are being collected from the hospitals. Necessary legal action will be taken against the driver once the inquiry is complete," the officer said.
Another eyewitness claimed that the bus was speeding.
"The bus overturned while trying to avoid an auto-rickshaw," said Nirmal, who was traveling from Uttam Nagar to New Delhi.
Visuals from the scene showed shattered glass and passengers' belongings strewn across the road. The bus sustained extensive damage, with twisted frames and broken window panels.
Meanwhile, RML Hospital in a statement said it received a call about a road accident around 1:10 am in Karol Bagh.
"The Disaster Management SOP at Dr RML Hospital was promptly activated by 1:15 am in coordination with emergency services. A total of 15 patients were received in the Emergency Department at around 2 am. Two male patients were brought dead. These two bodies were sent to the mortuary following proper medico-legal documentation," it said.
According to the statement, 13 patients – three of them women – were in a semi-critical condition.
They were initially stabilised in the Emergency Department and were referred to the Surgery Department for further definitive management, it said.
Ajai Chaudhary, the owner of Shakti Bus, said the driver -- who sustained a head injury -- told him that while driving towards Mori Gate, an auto and a motorcycle travelling at a high speed suddenly came in front of the bus.
"In an attempt to avoid them, he took a sharp turn, following which the bus climbed onto a divider and overturned," Chaudhary said, adding that there was no defect in the bus when it began its journey from Jaipur.
Within moments after the crash, the area, which is normally quiet at that hour, turned into a scene of chaos, with cries for help piercing the night.
Mahesh, one of the two deceased, was on his way back home in Bareilly when the tragedy struck. The logistics worker was only weeks away from his wedding on April 20.
The other, Shehbaj Alam, was returning from Jaipur with his cousin after celebrating Eid.
Alam left behind a three-month pregnant wife back home in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor.