CCTV footage has captured the moment a toddler was dragged along a street after his legs got stuck in a bus door, just months after a schoolboy was dragged several hundred meters in a similar incident.
Incident Details
The boy boarded the bus with a man in Melbourne, Australia at around 5pm on June 5 and around 15 minutes later, the pair tried to disembark. The doors began to close before the child, believed to be aged between three and five, was able to get off. His legs became trapped and the bus began to drive away.
The man, believed to be the boy's parent or guardian, tried to pull him from the moving vehicle. Shocked passengers shouted for the bus driver to stop. Authorities are working to identify the pair.
Safety Concerns Raised
The incident demonstrates the transport network must have stronger structural safeguards, said Tony Morton, Public Transport Users Association spokesperson. Speaking to Australian news outlet 9News, Mr Morton said: "This appears to be a case where things have just not really been attended to properly, and there's been a lapse in some of the basic safety there."
The state's bus safety regulator has asked the man, witnesses or anyone who helped the pair to come forward. The bus operator said the incident was distressing and has reinforced safety protocols with all drivers.
Similar Previous Incident
Months earlier, a 12-year-old boy was dragged along a road in Melbourne after his bag and right arm became caught in the automatic bus doors. He was dragged for about 350 metres down the street before the bus driver noticed.
