NEW DELHI, Sept 24: Nine people were killed and many others were injured after a running bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway with the driver allegedly refusing to stop despite being told by the passengers in Greater Noida area in Uttar Pradesh near Delhi on Thursday morning, the police said.
Visuals showed the bus completely charred and engulfed in flames as fire brigade teams continued to put out the fire and rescue passengers. Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire originated from a blast in the bus’s air conditioning system, which ignited the engine’s lubricating oil and caused the fire to spread rapidly. The bus driver and conductor survived the fire and the police detained them for questioning.
The FIR filed by the police showed that some passengers on the sleeper tourist bus had reported a burning smell minutes before the blaze, while the vehicle’s driver and conductor continued to smoke a cigarette. According to the FIR, the passengers had earlier objected to the driver and conductor smoking inside the bus – over which the two laughed and threatened the passengers to stay quiet.
A burning odour soon filled the speeding bus – which the passengers told the driver about. He and the conductor, however, dismissed them, saying that they usually get the smell inside the bus. Despite repeated requests, the driver did not conduct any checks and continued to smoke cigarettes. Minutes later, some flames erupted from the front end of the bus.
As the passengers began screaming, the bus driver told them, “I don’t care if you die, I won’t stop the bus,” according to the FIR. The Bihar registered bus which was travelling from Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh and carrying over 35 people, was quickly covered in flames, with the dense smoke making it difficult for people to escape.
A 64-year-old woman survivor, who was going to Mahoba after her mother-in-law’s death, said many passengers had run over her while escaping. “We were sleeping when someone shouted ‘get out quickly, the bus is on fire’. In no time it was all smoke. Everyone was running,” she said, adding that her husband could not even get up. “No one gave him a chance. His leg is broken, and no one gave him a chance,” she said.
Another passenger said she was asleep when the fire broke out. “When I woke up, there was already a huge crowd. I didn’t pick up any of my belongings; I didn’t even put on my shoes. I just grabbed my phone and stepped out. It was so crowded that people were shoving each other. I was pushed around, and someone eventually pulled me out. I don’t remember anything else after that,” she said.
According to the passenger, very few managed to escape. “Only those who could push their way out amidst the shoving escaped. Many people lost their lives. There were quite a few people behind me who probably couldn’t make it out, as I myself got out quite late,” the survivor said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the bus fire tragedy and announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died. A compensation of Rs 50,000 was also announced for the injured victims. “Distressed to hear about the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy on a bus in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Praying for the swift recovery of the injured,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) wrote in a post on X.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also announced similar compensation and expressed his condolences to the families of those who died in the fire. He also directed officials to ensure proper treatment for those injured.
Investigation revealed that the bus was earlier served with over 60 notices for fines for many types of traffic rule violations, of which 20 are yet to be paid. According to records on the vehicle information website, a total of over Rs 1.7 lakh is yet to be paid for the challans (fines) of the bus with the registration number ‘BR32PA8647’. The most recent fine of Rs 18,500 was for a traffic rules violation on August 19 in Delhi’s Mayur Vihar.
(Manas Dasgupta)