Questions over safety arrangements on a sleeper bus have come into focus after nine passengers, including a woman, were killed when the vehicle caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida on Thursday.
What did the police say?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the tragedy and announced financial assistance for the victims. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Several managed to escape, while nine were trapped inside and died from burns and suffocation. The circumstances of the fire have brought the bus’s safety features under scrutiny. Details cited in the FIR point to the absence of an emergency exit, while paint thinner was reportedly kept in the luggage bay. The combination of a rapidly spreading fire, heavy smoke and difficulties in accessing an exit left passengers with little time to escape. When they objected to the driver and conductor allegedly smoking, the two allegedly laughed and threatened passengers, asking them to remain quiet. By then, there was already a large crowd outside and the bus was filled with smoke. She grabbed only his phone and attempted to get out. The passenger recalled people pushing and shoving as they tried to escape. After receiving information, senior police officials, local police personnel, rescue teams and fire service units rushed to the scene. A fire tender stationed at the Jewar Toll Plaza also responded, while four additional fire service units reached the spot. The blaze was eventually extinguished and rescue operations were carried out. When police and fire personnel managed to enter the bus, they found nine passengers dead inside. The deceased were identified as passengers who had died from burns and suffocation, while the Jewar police began efforts to establish their identities. There are differing details in the preliminary accounts of how the fire began. Further necessary legal proceedings are underway’. Praying for the swift recovery of the injured’. Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the accident, expressed condolences to the families of those killed and directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured. The Chief Minister also spoke to the families of the deceased and directed officials to provide all possible assistance. He wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The Prime Minister’s Office said on X, ‘Distressed to hear about the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy on a bus in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The bus, bearing registration number BR 32 PA 8647, was travelling from Kashmiri Gate in New Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh when it caught fire near the 33-kilometre milestone on the Yamuna Expressway, within the jurisdiction of the Jewar Police Station. More than 30 passengers were reportedly travelling on the bus. Gautam Buddha Nagar Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Kumar said the bus caught fire near the 33-kilometre milestone while travelling towards Mahoba. Kumar said 20 to 25 people were rescued. PM Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs 50,000 for each injured passenger. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also announced Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
As the fire spread, thick smoke filled the vehicle and passengers struggled to find a way out, according to survivors account. Passengers had already noticed a burning smell inside the bus, according to the FIR. One passenger said he was asleep when someone banged on the door and woke him. He said she did not stop to collect his belongings or even put on his shoes. She said someone eventually pulled him out, but he could not remember what happened afterwards. ‘It was so smoky that nothing was visible; people were suffocating inside’, the passenger said, adding that only a few people managed to escape by pushing their way through the crowd. Officials said, ‘A case has been registered under relevant sections regarding the incident, and both the driver and the conductor have been taken into custody.
Passengers then scrambled to get out through the smoke. “After I fell asleep, someone woke me up saying the bus had caught fire, and we all scrambled to get out. It was not an easy situation to escape from; there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out in a state of panic. The bus was packed with passengers,” added the survivor of the fatal bus.
Because he himself escaped relatively late, she also said there were several passengers behind him who may not have been able to get out. Because of the presence of fuel, officials initially said the fire originated in the bus engine and intensified rapidly.
Another passenger said he was asleep when someone woke him and told him the bus had caught fire. He described the bus as packed and said escaping was extremely difficult as people tried to get out in panic.
Investigation Uncovers Safety Lapses in Bus Fire Incident
An ongoing investigation into a recent bus fire has revealed several significant safety lapses. Reports indicate that the bus lacked an emergency exit and contained flammable materials, such as paint thinner, in the luggage bay. These factors are believed to have exacerbated the damage caused by the blaze.
Passengers reportedly noticed a burning smell and raised concerns about the driver and conductor smoking inside the vehicle, but their complaints were allegedly dismissed.
Preliminary findings suggest that a spark or explosion in the bus’s air-conditioning system may have ignited lubricating oil in the engine, leading to the rapid spread of flames. The exact sequence of events that led to the fire is still under review.
Both the driver and conductor are currently in custody, with a case filed against them under relevant legal provisions. The investigation continues, focusing on the bus’s safety measures and the circumstances that contributed to the fire’s escalation.
