4 min readMumbaiJun 9, 2026 07:59 AM IST
First published on: Jun 9, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST
Just nine days before he was to travel to Uttar Pradesh to meet the family of a prospective bride, 28-year-old Swiggy delivery executive Niyaz Ahmad was killed after a BEST bus lost control and rammed multiple vehicles near Plaza Cinema in Dadar (West) on Monday. The electric BEST bus, operating on Route 463, allegedly lost control near Veer Kotwal Garden around 9.30 am, rammed a crane and ploughed into five vehicles including a private car, taxi, Uber cab and two-wheelers. Six others were injured in the accident.
Ahmad was on his electric scooter when the bus struck him. He was rushed to Sion Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Another delivery worker, 22-year-old Rishabh Gupta, is undergoing treatment for severe head and chest injuries.
The accident is the latest in a series involving BEST’s wet-lease buses, which are privately operated buses hired by BEST. According to BEST data, wet-lease buses were involved in accidents that claimed 19 lives in 2024-25 and 21 lives in 2025-26, compared to eight fatalities involving BEST’s self-owned fleet in the same period. The Dadar accident takes the death toll in BEST-related accidents to 50 over the past two years. It comes barely days after a 50-year-old cab driver was killed when a BEST bus rammed his parked car in Malad East.
Outside the mortuary, as family members waited for the postmortem to be completed, Ahmad’s uncle, Roj Ali, spoke about the young man whose earnings sustained an entire family back home in Uttar Pradesh.
The BEST bus, operating on Route No. 463/31, allegedly crashed into a four-wheeler and a two-wheeler before striking pedestrians in the vicinity. (Express Photo)
“Niyaz worked as a Swiggy delivery executive and lived in Mumbai with his cousin, who is also a daily wage worker. His parents and younger sister live in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, he used to sell kaanda-batata from a pushcart but later joined Swiggy to earn a better income as he wanted to support his family and save money for his sister’s marriage,” Ali said.
Ahmad moved to Mumbai about five years ago in search of better opportunities. According to relatives, he had recently begun discussing marriage and was preparing for a trip home later this month.
“In fact, he was scheduled to travel to Uttar Pradesh on June 17 to meet the family of a prospective bride, as discussions regarding his marriage were underway,” Ali said.
Family members said Ahmad had been looking forward to the visit and had also been making plans for his younger sister’s wedding. “He was telling me that now he feels confident financially to get married and also get his sister married,” Ali said.
The family has now appealed for financial assistance from both the government and the food-delivery platform for which Ahmad worked.
“We want both the government and Swiggy to provide compensation. Niyaz was the sole earning member of the family. His father suffers from visual impairment and the family was dependent on him,” Ali said.
Recalling the moment he learnt about the accident, Ali said, “I was at work when I received a call informing me that Niyaz had met with an accident. By the time I reached the hospital, I was told that he had passed away. I am now waiting to receive his body so that we can take him back to our hometown in Uttar Pradesh for the last rites.”
The task of informing Ahmad’s parents about the tragedy fell on the family members gathered at the hospital. “I had been withholding the news from his family initially, but eventually I had to inform them because he is no longer with us,” Ali said.
Niyaz Ahmad's uncle Roj Ali shows his nephew's only photo in his phone. (Express photo by Purnima Sah) 
The BEST bus, operating on Route No. 463/31, allegedly crashed into a four-wheeler and a two-wheeler before striking pedestrians in the vicinity. (Express Photo)
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