An Indore-bound chartered bus from Dhar crashed into the Sher-e-Punjab dhaba on Dhar Road near a petrol pump around 7 am on Sunday, seriously injuring the driver and causing minor injuries to some passengers, according to Chandan Nagar police.
The bus veered off the road as it approached the petrol pump and broke through the dhaba’s wall before entering its kitchen. The impact damaged the roadside establishment, although the dhaba was closed when the crash occurred.
Only three employees were sleeping inside the premises at the time. They woke after hearing the impact and came out of the building. No injuries among the dhaba employees were reported in the information available.
Local residents helped pull the injured people out of the bus. The driver, who sustained serious injuries, was taken to a hospital by ambulance. The passengers suffered minor injuries and later left for their destinations in other vehicles.
Police said the bus was travelling from Dhar towards Indore when the driver apparently lost control near the petrol pump. The vehicle then left the road and struck the dhaba. The exact reason for the loss of control had not been established, Chandan Nagar police said.
The crash highlights the exposure of roadside commercial establishments to fast-moving traffic, particularly along routes where vehicles approach petrol pumps and other access points. In this case, the bus crossed the roadside edge and entered a kitchen, but the available police account does not establish whether speed, a mechanical problem, driver health or another factor contributed to the incident.
The police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances leading to the crash. Authorities have not provided further details about the bus operator, the number of passengers travelling on the vehicle or the extent of the damage to the dhaba.
