Mumbai, Dec 10: The death toll in Monday's ghastly accident -- in which an allegedly drunk BEST bus driver mowed down at least 25 vehicles -- climbed to five and another 36 persons injured, the BMC Disaster Control said here on Tuesday.

The tragedy occurred in the crowded Kurla West market around 9.30 p.m. when the BEST air-conditioned electric bus Route No. A-332 came at a dizzying speed and rammed into moving and stationary vehicles, including a police jeep.

The shocking mayhem near the busy Lal Bahadur Shastri Road resulted in at least five people getting killed and some 36 injured, many critically, as the bus ground to a halt after some 500 metres.

As per preliminary reports, the bus driver, identified as Sanjay More, was allegedly in an inebriated state and lost control of the vehicle, which hurtled into the vehicles and pedestrians, while eyewitnesses claimed he was seen laughing and enjoying his death drive.

CCTV footage of the tragedy that emerged this morning showed people screaming, running helter-skelter to save themselves on the narrow and congested road.

Police and BMC Officials said that the wet-leased bus of Kurla Bus Depot was proceeding to Sakinaka, and the deadly drive occurred near the Anjuman-e-Islam School on S. G. Barve Marg in Kurla (West).

The locals and other authorities rushed the injured to Bhabha Hospital and private clinics in the vicinity.

Some of the deceased have been identified as Kaniz Fatema Ansari, 55, Afreen A. Shaikh, 19, Anam Shaikh, 18, and Shivam Kashyap, 18.

The vehicles damaged included autorickshaws, scooters, motorcycles, some cars, a police jeep, etc.

Though the exact causes of the crash are being probed, it is suspected that the accident happened due to a brake failure. Additionally, the bus driver has been booked on multiple charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

--IANS

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