Kolkata: At least 14 people were injured, six of them critically, after a state-run bus lost control and toppled on the Park Circus Connector on Tuesday morning.
The critically injured include four passengers, the driver and the conductor. They have been admitted to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, police said.
According to sources, the bus—operated by the West Bengal Transport Corporation and bearing registration number WB 11C 7858—had started from Howrah bus terminus and was headed for Kamalgazi. Around 8 am, while travelling along the Park Circus Connector towards EM Bypass, the driver lost control near the Topsia crossing. The bus rammed into the median divider and toppled onto its left side, trapping several passengers inside.
Local residents and commuters rushed to help with the rescue. Police later arrived and broke window panes to extricate those trapped in the bus.
Eyewitnesses said a motorcycle suddenly came in front of the speeding bus at the Topsia crossing. While attempting to avoid a collision, the driver reportedly lost control, causing the bus to hit the divider. The impact led to an explosion of one of the front tyres, following which the vehicle overturned.
A controversy has since emerged over the deployment of the bus. Records on mParivahan reportedly show that the vehicle’s fitness certificate had expired in 2017, while its pollution under control certificate lapsed in 2024.
Police have seized the bus and initiated an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the accident. A mechanical inspection is expected to be conducted to ascertain whether any technical fault contributed to the mishap.