New Delhi, March 25 A speeding sleeper bus from Jaipur overturned while taking a sharp turn near Hanuman Mandir in the Jhandewalan area of Karol Bagh here early Wednesday, resulting in the death of two passengers and injuries to 23 others, police said.
Around 1 am, the Karol Bagh police station received a PCR call, with the caller stating that several passengers were trapped inside a bus following an accident, a police officer said.
The bus, bound for Delhi, had around 30 passengers on board, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said in a statement.
An officer present at a post near the accident site said the bus was speeding and overturned while taking a turn at a roundabout near the temple.
He said his team was on traffic duty when they heard a loud noise and a cloud of dust near the roundabout.
"We rushed to the spot, people were crying for help, several were trying to break the glass windows in a desperate attempt to get out of the vehicle. The vehicle was heading towards Mori Gate," he said.
The Delhi Fire Services 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 incident was averted."
A team led by Karol Bagh SHO, Delhi Fire Services personnel, picket staff, and a night patrolling team rushed to the spot and helped pull out the trapped passengers with the help of locals, he said.
A JCB machine nearby was used to help lift the bus, he added.
Around 10 injured were rushed to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and later discharged, 12 were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and one to Lady Hardinge Medical College, the police said.
Two male passengers succumbed to injuries at RML Hospital, the officer said.
The deceased were identified as Shehbaj Alam, 30, a resident of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, and Mahesh, 22, he said.
The bus driver, Pankaj Kumar, 26, a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan, is currently being treated at RML Hospital.
Pankaj Kumar has been booked under sections 281 (rash driving), 125 (endangering the life or personal safety of others), and 106 (causing death by negligence) at the Karol Bagh police station.
"Further investigation is underway, and details of the injured are being collected from the hospitals. Necessary legal action will be taken against the driver following the completion of the inquiry," the officer said.
Another eyewitness claimed that the bus was speeding.
"The bus overturned while trying to avoid an autorickshaw," said Nirmal, who was traveling from Uttam Nagar to New Delhi.
Gola Shyam, president of the All India Tourist Bus Association, said that an autorickshaw and a motorcycle were approaching at high speed when the bus was heading towards Mori Gate.
To avoid hitting them, the bus driver suddenly swerved, causing the bus to overturn. He also claimed a brake failure contributed to the incident.
Visuals from the spot showed shattered glass and passengers' belongings strewn across the road. The bus suffered 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.
Around 1 am, the Karol Bagh police station received a PCR call, with the caller stating that several passengers were trapped inside a bus following an accident, a police officer said.
The bus, bound for Delhi, had around 30 passengers on board, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said in a statement.
An officer present at a post near the accident site said the bus was speeding and overturned while taking a turn at a roundabout near the temple.
He said his team was on traffic duty when they heard a loud noise and a cloud of dust near the roundabout.
"We rushed to the spot, people were crying for help, several were trying to break the glass windows in a desperate attempt to get out of the vehicle. The vehicle was heading towards Mori Gate," he said.
The Delhi Fire Services 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 incident was averted."
A team led by Karol Bagh SHO, Delhi Fire Services personnel, picket staff, and a night patrolling team rushed to the spot and helped pull out the trapped passengers with the help of locals, he said.
A JCB machine nearby was used to help lift the bus, he added.
Around 10 injured were rushed to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and later discharged, 12 were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and one to Lady Hardinge Medical College, the police said.
Two male passengers succumbed to injuries at RML Hospital, the officer said.
The deceased were identified as Shehbaj Alam, 30, a resident of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, and Mahesh, 22, he said.
The bus driver, Pankaj Kumar, 26, a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan, is currently being treated at RML Hospital.
Pankaj Kumar has been booked under sections 281 (rash driving), 125 (endangering the life or personal safety of others), and 106 (causing death by negligence) at the Karol Bagh police station.
"Further investigation is underway, and details of the injured are being collected from the hospitals. Necessary legal action will be taken against the driver following the completion of the inquiry," the officer said.
Another eyewitness claimed that the bus was speeding.
"The bus overturned while trying to avoid an autorickshaw," said Nirmal, who was traveling from Uttam Nagar to New Delhi.
Gola Shyam, president of the All India Tourist Bus Association, said that an autorickshaw and a motorcycle were approaching at high speed when the bus was heading towards Mori Gate.
To avoid hitting them, the bus driver suddenly swerved, causing the bus to overturn. He also claimed a brake failure contributed to the incident.
Visuals from the spot showed shattered glass and passengers' belongings strewn across the road. The bus suffered 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.