Mumbai BEST Bus Tragedy: 4 Dead, 9 Injured; Blame Game Over Handbrake, Hawkers

• Four people died and nine were injured after a BEST bus reversed into pedestrians near Bhandup railway station in Mumbai.
• The driver, Santosh Sawant, claims the accident was due to the previous driver leaving the handbrake in drive mode, causing the bus to surge forward.
• Eyewitnesses attribute the tragedy to chronic hawker encroachment, forcing pedestrians onto the road and making bus U-turns difficult.
• Police are investigating, with a technical inspection of the bus underway and the previous driver's statement to be recorded.
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased.

Why It Matters: A tragic Mumbai bus accident sparks a blame game between driver's claims and civic neglect.