Constable dead, several injured in bus accident in Kolkata
A police constable died and 13 others suffered injuries on Thursday when a bus carrying passengers hit the wall adjoining a gate of Fort William, the Army's Eastern Command headquarters, with its driver having lost control on the wheels, an officer said. Vivekananda Dab, who was employed with the Kolkata Police Reserve Force, was declared "brought dead" by doctors at the nearby SSKM hospital.
Crane helped pull him out from under the bus
The minibus, which was on its way to Howrah from Metiabruz, mowed down the motorcycle-borne police constable Dab before it crashed into the brick wall of the British-era fort near Hastings area around 12:30 pm, the officer said. "We had to use a crane to pull him out from under the bus," he explained further.
Brakes of the bus had supposedly failed
Passengers who sustained injuries were also taken to the state-run SSKM hospital, and the condition of at least four of them has been stated to be critical, the officer said. "It seems the brakes had failed, and the driver, in a bid to stop the speeding bus, hit a tree and then the brick wall," he added.
A thorough investigation is underway: Kolkata Police Commissioner
As soon as news of the accident was received, police forces rushed to the site. As many as three cranes were brought to aid rescue efforts. Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra, who visited the site of the accident, said the matter was being looked into, and more details will be available after a thorough investigation.
