Families mourn two men killed in Karol Bagh bus crash

New Delhi: Outside the mortuary at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, the grieving families of Mahesh Kumar (23) and Shehbaj Alam (30) stood united in loss. Hailing from UP’s Bareilly and Bijnor districts, respectively, the two men were on their way home with a brief halt in Delhi. But their journey turned tragic when the private bus they were travelling in overturned in Karol Bagh, cutting their lives short before they could reach their families.

While Kumar was set to marry his fiancée on April 20, Alam’s wife, three months pregnant, had been eagerly waiting for his return home.

Kumar’s mother, Parvesh Kumari, sat surrounded by relatives, wailing inconsolably. “Uski baarat nikalne wali thi agle mahine,” she cried.

The youngest of three siblings, Kumar was travelling home from Bilaspur, where he worked with his elder brother Mukesh (28) and a friend, Pradeep (22), at a private courier delivery service. The trio planned to disembark at Kashmere Gate and head to Anand Vihar to board another bus home for the upcoming wedding.

Mukesh and Pradeep, who were also on board the double-decker sleeper bus, recalled the devastating moments. “I was on the lower berth and Mahesh was above me. We heard a loud noise and the next thing we knew, the bus had overturned at least three times,” Mukesh said, adding that half of Mahesh’s body was flung out of the shattered window, causing fatal injuries.

While Mukesh sustained minor hip injuries and Pradeep injured his left leg, both said they had to jump out through shattered windows. “There was just one gate, and the emergency exit didn’t work,” Mukesh said, adding that he also assisted in the rescue operation once he got out.

Also on board was Shehbaj Alam, a businessman who supplied snacks for local grocery stores and the sole breadwinner for his wife, his elderly father and his younger brother. His pregnant wife and his sister, who gave birth two months ago, have not yet been informed of his death. Zaheen (30), Alam’s brother-in-law, said, “When we told my wife about the accident, she fainted. Seeing that, we decided not to tell either of the women.”

Alam’s family has alleged the driver was intoxicated. Faheem (32), a relative, said other passengers told them he appeared drunk and may have consumed more alcohol during a rest stop. Police said blood samples have been sent for testing to verify the claim. Kumar’s family, meanwhile, suspects the driver may have been drowsy. Kumar boarded the bus around 11.30pm while Alam was on the bus since it began its journey around 5pm.

Alam had been travelling with three cousins after a trip to Jaipur to celebrate Eid. While he and a cousin, Pari (32), decided to come to Delhi to spend a few days with family in Okhla, the other two continued their trip to Jaisalmer. Pari, who was injured in the crash, returned to his village after being discharged.