CCTV footage capturing the horrifying moment a young boy was dragged by a moving bus has left many in shock… but what happened shortly after the video was released is now sparking even greater controversy
Warning: This story contains images that some readers may find distressing.
Disturbing CCTV shows a child being dragged along a Melbourne street after his legs became stuck in a bus door.
Disturbing CCTV shows a child being dragged along a Melbourne street after his legs became stuck in a bus door. Supplied
Video of the St Kilda incident has been released as authorities try to track down the young boy and the man who was with him.
The pair had boarded the south-bound route 246 bus at the corner of Swan Street and Punt Road in Richmond about 4.55pm on June 5.
Fifteen minutes later, at 5.10pm, they tried to get off at the Waterloo Crescent and Barkly Street stop in St Kilda.
Footage shows the doors closing before the child was clear, trapping his legs as the bus drove off.
A man, believed to be the boy’s parent or guardian, can be seen desperately holding on to the child as they struggled alongside the moving bus.
Video of the St Kilda incident has been released as authorities try to track down the young boy and the man who was with him. Supplied
Passengers inside the vehicle realised what was happening and shouted at the driver to stop the bus.
The state’s bus safety regulator launched an appeal asking the man, witnesses, or anyone who helped the pair to come forward following an internal review of the bus’s CCTV.
However, Safe Transport Victoria deleted the CCTV footage and its public appeal from social media within hours of posting it this morning.
In a response to 9News, the regulator confirmed an investigation into the incident remained ongoing.
Public Transport Users Association spokesperson Tony Morton said the incident highlights the need for stronger structural safeguards across the transport network.
“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,” Morton said.
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Bus operator Kinetic described the incident as distressing and apologised to those involved. It said it would reinforce safety procedures with all drivers.
The close call follows a string of similar public transport safety lapses across Melbourne this year.
A schoolboy was dragged for 30 seconds in Wheelers Hill after his backpack caught in a bus door, while a St Aloysius College student was struck by a train at North Melbourne station.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Safe Transport Victoria on 1800 638 802.
SOURCE: 9 NEWS
https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/vic/boy-dragged-along-melbourne-street-after-bus-door-closes-on-legs-20260813-p60o6k.html
