Nine killed as sleeper bus catches fire on Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida
At least nine passengers were killed and more than 20 rescued after a sleeper bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida late on Wednesday night; the driver and conductor have been arrested.
At least nine passengers were killed after a sleeper bus carrying around 35 people caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida late on Wednesday night, police said. More than 20 passengers were rescued safely.
The bus, bearing registration number BR32PA8647, was travelling from Kashmere Gate in New Delhi towards Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh when it caught fire near the 33-km milestone in the Jewar police station area at around 11pm, Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Kumar told PTI.
The fire quickly engulfed the bus, forcing several passengers to escape through the windows. Police and fire personnel worked through the night; when they entered the smoke-filled bus, they found nine people dead inside, apparently from burns or suffocation, Kumar said.
A preliminary inquiry suggests a spark or blast in the bus’s air-conditioning system may have ignited engine lubricant oil, causing the fire to spread rapidly.
The driver and conductor have been arrested, and Jewar police have registered a case against them under provisions related to culpable homicide. The FIR alleges they refused to stop the bus despite passengers warning of a burning smell, ThePrint reported.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and directed officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured. President Droupadi Murmu condoled the deaths in a post on X.
Sources
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