A mini bus said to be packed with passengers belonging to a wedding party turned turtle at Dorina Crossing, this afternoon leaving over a score injured. Police sources said the incident happened around 2.10 p.m. Around 23 passengers sustained injuries on account of the accident, including a woman who is said to have received severe head injuries in the accident.

They had been taken to SSKM Hospital for treatment. The bus had about 50 passengers on board. According to police, a Howrah-bound mini bus which was coming from Park Circus was allegedly hurtling at break-neck speed on its way to Bankra, in Howrah for a wedding.

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Police sources said preliminary investigation revealed that the bus which was speeding in its bid to overtake another bus had had one of its tyres resoled and it got deflated, resulting in its overturn. A passenger of the rogue bus said that the bus was speeding recklessly from Park Circus and always ran the risk of being caught in an accident.

“It got worse when it was locked in a game of overtaking another bus, this was when the accident happened,” said another passenger. The passengers of the bus were rescued by local people. About an hour later, another bus on the same HowrahBankra route at the same spot at Dorina Crossing was observed tilted on one side and officers of the City Police immediately got the bus seized for being unfit and got the passengers deboarded for their safety.

The incidents triggered strict instructions from the state transport department. The state transport minister, Firad Hakim issued instructions for immediately seizing the unfit buses to the RTOs in the city. “The bus was not only unfit but even the tyres were resoled. Because of the resoled tyre, the vehicle could not take the calibration of the weight properly and overturned while taking a turn,” informed the state Transport Minister, Firhad Hakim.

“We have urged the police commissioner and the department to check out the valid and invalid vehicles. I have asked the Kolkata RTO to seize the unfit buses without a fitness certificate immediately,” he added.