New Delhi, March 25 The owner of the Jaipur-Delhi sleeper bus that overturned in central Delhi on Wednesday evening claimed the driver swerved the vehicle to avoid a speeding auto-rickshaw and motorcycle, leading to the accident.
Ajai Chaudhary, the owner of Shakti Bus, said the driver -- who purportedly sustained a head injury and is currently undergoing treatment -- 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.
He added that the bus had departed from Jaipur at 7 pm on Tuesday and entered Delhi around 1.15 am. The vehicle, with a seating capacity of 45 passengers, was carrying around 30 to 35 people at the time of the incident, he said.
Chaudhary maintained that there was no defect in the bus when it began its journey from Jaipur.
According to police, the bus was speeding and overturned near the Hanuman Mandir in Karol Bagh early Wednesday, leaving two passengers dead and 23 others injured.
A police officer present at a nearby post said the bus appeared to be speeding and lost control while negotiating a turn at a roundabout before overturning.
Gola Shyam, president of the All India Tourist Bus Association, also claimed that an auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle were approaching at high speed from the opposite direction when the incident took place.
He claimed that the bus' brakes failed when the driver attempted to slow down, forcing him to take a sudden turn, which led to the vehicle overturning.