Mumbai: A tragic accident in Kurla (West) on Monday night claimed the lives of seven people, including 20-year-old Afreen Shah, when a Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) bus lost control and crashed into pedestrians and vehicles on SG Barve Road.
Afreen had just finished her first day at a new job and was on her way home to Shivaji Nagar. Her father, Abdul Salim Shah, spoke about their last phone call.
“At 9.09 pm, she called me from Kurla Railway Station and said she couldn’t find an autorickshaw. I told her to walk to the highway to find one. Less than an hour later, at 9.54 pm, I got a call from her phone, but it was from a hospital staff member,” he said.
When Shah rushed to Bhabha Hospital, he found his daughter’s body in the casualty ward. “It was her first day at work, and now she is gone. We want justice. The driver must be punished,” he said.
Shah also appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action. “The area is unsafe for people. It’s congested with illegal parking, hawkers, and ongoing metro work. Many have lost loved ones here. The government must fix this,” he said.
Residents in Kurla are angry and have demanded safer roads and strict action against illegal encroachments. The police have arrested the BEST bus driver, and an investigation is ongoing.
This heartbreaking incident highlights the urgent need to improve road safety in Mumbai to prevent such tragedies in the future.