A tragic accident occurred at the Mumbai Naka highway bus station late Saturday night, claiming the life of a 23-year-old woman devotee and leaving one critically injured.
Anjali Thottikonda Nagarjuna, a resident of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, had just arrived in Nashik from Shirdi along with her husband, Mupalla Nagarjuna (30), to visit Trimbakeshwar temple. Around 10:30 PM, as the couple approached the interrogation room to seek information, an electric bus (MH04 LQ 9462) crashed into the structure, fatally striking Anjali.
The driver, Umesh Dattatray Bhabad (32) of Vehalgaon, Nandgaon, had parked the bus on the platform after completing the Shirdi-Nashik route. After ensuring all passengers had disembarked, he entered the bus to adjust the locked driver’s seat. Upon starting the vehicle, the bus made a sudden loud noise, sped forward uncontrollably, broke through an iron barrier, and rammed into the interrogation room.
Anjali suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot. Her husband, Mupalla, narrowly escaped with minor injuries. Meanwhile, Goraksh Machindra Gosavi (57), a Nashik resident seeking bus information at the interrogation room, sustained critical injuries and was rushed to the district hospital's ICU.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with station staff rushing to assist the injured. The driver claimed he attempted to brake but failed to control the automatic bus. "I've been a driver for 13 years, and I don’t understand how this happened," said Bhabad, who the police have detained.
Anjali and Mupalla, married for only two and a half years, had undertaken this pilgrimage to Nashik. The incident has left their family and the local community in shock. The Mumbai Naka police have launched an investigation and begun filing a case.
This tragic mishap raises serious concerns about public transport vehicles' safety protocols and maintenance.