In a horrific accident in Pune, at least 9 people have died and 27 more have been injured, after a man allegedly hijacked a city bus and subsequently lost control of the vehicle in a crowded area. The incident happened on Wednesday morning.
"The man went berserk. He went on ramming the vehicles plying on the road, he was in a dangerous mood. He killed 8 people and injured 27," a Pune police official was quoted as saying in a Hindustan Time report.
The incident happened at approximately 8 a.m., when a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) driver, Santosh Mane, climbed into an unmanned vehicle at the inter-state Swargate bus depot and drove down the wrong side of some of the busiest streets in the city, for an hour-and-a-half. The police also said the 30-year-old Mane drove for nearly 25km before being arrested at the Dandekar Flyover.
The runaway bus and its driver were stopped by fire brigade authorities and local residents. According to some television media personnel, the authorities even issued a "shoot" order but managed to stop Mane without resorting to gunfire.
The injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals. Police expect the death and injury tolls to rise.
Mane is being interrogated by the police and more details are believed to be forthcoming.
