The right hand of a young woman riding pillion with her friend on a motorcycle was severed when she fell under a moving bus in New Town on Tuesday afternoon.
Police said Pratisruti Roy Chowdhury, 25, was riding with her friend Soumyadeep Roy when her bag got entangled with a protruding portion of a passing bus, causing her to be flung off the two-wheeler.
The bus ran over her right hand, which was severed and lay on the road for some time before the police recovered it and took her to the hospital.
The accident occurred in front of City Centre II in New Town at around 1.30pm.
Pratisruti, a resident of Dum Dum Cantonment, was first rushed to Charnock Hospital in New Town and later shifted to Narayana Multispeciality Hospital in Barasat.
“She had lost a significant amount of blood and had to undergo a blood transfusion. Doctors have planned a reconstructive surgery on Wednesday,” said an official of Narayana Multispeciality Hospital.
She is currently in the critical care unit, the official added.
The police said Pratisruti and Soumyadeep were heading to her office at Eco Space in New Town Action Area-II.
“Pratisruti’s bag got entangled with a protruding portion of the bus when it came close to the motorcycle. She fell on the road and was dragged for a few metres with the bus. Her right hand went under one of the bus wheels,” said an officer of Bidhannagar city police.
Eyewitnesses said her right arm bore multiple fractures and was completely severed.
Her mother, Keka Roy Chowdhury, said she was in shock and trauma.
“I don’t know what will happen to my daughter’s future. I cannot say anything now,” the mother said.
Pratisruti works with a cement manufacturing company, a police officer said.
The bus involved, which runs on route number EB-12 between Barasat and Karunamoyee, has been impounded, but the driver fled the spot, the police said.
CCTV footage will be examined to determine the exact sequence of events and why the bus came dangerously close to the motorcycle.
Last year, a similar incident occurred in Salt Lake when a Class IV student returning home on his mother’s scooter was killed after a bus allegedly trying to overtake another vehicle hit the scooter’s handlebar, causing him to fall on the road at Gate Number 2 intersection.