Metro caught up with those who suffered and saw...

Aniket Biswas, 11 (top), and another passenger (middle) who survived the mishap. (Above): Prayers for the injured. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal and Tamaghna Banerjee

Aniket Biswas, 11: “I study in Class VI in Taki House School. I was on the bus with my father (Aniruddha Biswas, 42). We were going from our house in Phoolbagan to the other house we have in Dashodran. We were seated together at the rear end of the bus. When the bus fell into the water, something got into my eyes and I was blinded. It was very dark and I couldn’t find my father. I kept crying out ‘Baba, Baba’, but I could not see him or hear his voice… It was suffocating and I thought I was going to die. After some time, people tore open the sides of the bus and pulled me out.” [Aniket suffered minor injuries. His father was among those brought dead to Apex Nursing Home, at Jora Mandir.]

Sujit Kumar Dutta, 42: Was on his way to visit his daughter in Narayanpur. He was among the first to be rescued. His son-in-law Krishnapada Mondol said that Dutta began shivering, complaining of breathlessness and chest pain soon after he reached their place. “We rushed him to Charnoc Hospital around 5.30pm; he is in the ICCU now,” said Mondol.

Pintoo Ghorui, 22: “I was at the rear of the speeding bus. Suddenly, there was a jerk and we were deep in water. Water entered my lungs. Just when I was about to give up the struggle to survive, some people pulled me out through a portion of the bus near the wheels that they had managed to break open.

Pramod Das: “I live in Kestopur. I was on the opposite side of the road at a CD shop when the accident occurred. I saw two buses speeding, as they often do on VIP Road. The one on the right refused to give way. The bus on the left swerved, skidded on the slushy road and fell into the canal. As the bus was falling into the water, the driver leapt out and fled. An auto was coming from the opposite direction. The autowallah immediately stopped his vehicle and ran to a nearby police outpost to sound the alarm. Residents of the area did all they could to help the accident victims. But the same cannot be said about the authorities.”

Rumki Chatterjee: “The accident occurred when I was crossing the road. I was, in fact, on the divider. I saw the bus fall into the water and waited there as the rescue operations were on. I finally approached the canal when the bus was being pulled out with the help of a crane. We saw a little girl inside. Someone pulled her out and asked me to hold her. The girl was unconscious and shivering in my arms. I felt so helpless and started crying. Finally, we were able to get her into an ambulance.”

Kanti Biswas: “I was standing on the other side of the road to catch a bus when I saw two buses rushing towards Lower Bagjola Canal. The bus on route 217B hit the kuchcha patch of road and spun out of control. Just as the bus hit the water, I saw the driver jump out and flee.”