Ghaziabad
A stationary electric bus (e-bus) run by the UP Roadways suddenly switched on and rammed into a group of people near the Masuri underpass on National Highway 9 (NH 9), killing a 38-year-old woman and a three-year-old girl on the spot. Four others were injured and rushed to a hospital in Pilkhuwa, police said.
Police identified the deceased as Afiya, 3, who was a resident of Dhaulana and Reshma, 38, who was a resident of Zafar Colony in Masuri. The injured were identified as Ayesha, 13, Mahinoor, 4, Mohammad Arif, 38, and Mustaqeem, 35. Police only shared the first names in five instances.
“Two died on spot, and four injured were rushed to a hospital in Pilkhuwa. Their condition is stable. The electric bus is operated by UP Roadways. It was stationary and turned on near the Masuri underpass area. It suddenly started to move and crushed six persons, besides several bikes, on the highway,” said Siddharth Gautam, assistant commissioner of police (Masuri-Muradnagar circle).
Based on a complaint from Mustafa, Reshma’s husband, police registered a case under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 281 (rash and negligent driving) of the BNS.
Police said Sunil Kumar, the driver of the bus, fled soon after the incident. “We will take help of roadways’ officials to trace the driver. There were no passengers in the bus when it suddenly started moving. It was headed to Dhaulana. We are trying to find if it was a fault on part of the driver or if there was a technical snag which caused the stationary bus to move. An FIR has been registered,” the ACP said.
Kesri Nandan Chaudhary, the regional manager of UP State Road Transport Corporation, could not be reached for comment as his mobile remained switched off.