NEW DELHI: Early on Wednesday, constables Rohit Dahiya and Mohit Deswal were returning on a motorcycle from the Hanuman Murti temple area around 12.55am after a regular patrol when they found themselves witnessing a horrific accident. A speeding bus suddenly overturned with a deafening crash, sending a massive cloud of dust into the air. Within seconds, urgent cries for help started coming from passengers trapped inside the bus.Without a moment’s hesitation, the constables rushed to the site. Rohit told TOI that within minutes, a crowd of 150-200 people, including commuters, locals and autorickshaw drivers, gathered at the scene.
“The impact of the crash was so severe that it shattered all the windowpanes of the bus. Three passengers were lying near the broken windshield, and they were the first to be rescued,” he said.As the chaos unfolded, locals did not remain mere bystanders. They joined cops in the rescue operation and tried to lift the bus to free the trapped passengers, but it was far too heavy.At that moment, Rohit’s quick thinking kicked in.“I suddenly noticed a JCB passing by and rushed to the driver to explain the situation. He was asked to lift the side of the bus that had overturned on the roadside. Using the JCB, the bus was carefully raised and cement blocks were placed underneath to stabilise it. This allowed the injured passengers to be pulled out safely,” Rohit recalled.
At least eight injured people – most of them trapped in their seats – were rescued in this manner. Mohit said they then climbed onto the bus, entered through the windows and evacuated more passengers who were unable to move. Both the officers, posted at Karol Bagh police station, said it was the first time in their careers they had witnessed such a terrifying accident.As the bus’s emergency exit was not working, firefighters had to cut it open to check for anyone trapped inside the seats.Meanwhile, the constables alerted the police control room, and within a short time, about 50 personnel from three police stations arrived at the spot. A nearby police post was being manned by sub-inspector Ran Singh when the incident occurred.“It was a horrific scene. Along with home guard Paramjeet Yadav, I rushed there immediately. As the injured were being taken out, an ambulance happened to pass by. We stopped it and rushed the victims straight to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, which is very close,” he said.According to police, the involvement of local commuters, autorickshaw drivers and bystanders played a crucial role in the rescue operation. Without their help, the outcome could have been far worse, they said.SHO Karol Bagh Karuna Sagar, who also reached the spot, stressed the importance of crowd participation. “People immediately cooperated and divided duties — some assisted in the rescue while others managed traffic diversion and crowd control. Their timely intervention ensured that the rescue happened quickly; otherwise, the casualties could have been much higher,” he said.
