A woman and her son died after the bus they were travelling in caught fire on Yamuna Expressway, in an incident where passengers say they had warned the driver about a burning smell minutes before flames broke out.
It was quickly engulfed in flames, and thick smoke made it difficult for passengers to escape. Nine people died in the incident, and several others were injured. Visuals from the scene showed the bus completely charred as fire brigade teams worked to put out the blaze and rescue passengers. Both the driver and the conductor survived the fire. Police have detained them for questioning.
The bus, registered in Bihar, was travelling from Delhi to Mahoba and was carrying more than 35 people.
Sunita and Shashank, wife and son of Mahoba BJP District Treasurer Neeraj Gupta, were among those who died in the fire. The family lived in the Rajmandir area of Charkhari town.
Sunita and Shashank, wife and son of Mahoba BJP District Treasurer Neeraj Gupta, were among those who died in the fire. The family lived in the Rajmandir area of Charkhari town. Sunita had difficulty walking and was seated on the last seat of the bus when the fire broke out. Both mother and son collapsed from the smoke and suffered severe burns.
When the driver told passengers to get off, Shashank tried to help his mother out of the vehicle, but her mobility issues made it difficult to move her in time.
A preliminary investigation found that the fire began with a blast in the bus’s air conditioning system, which ignited the engine’s lubricating oil and caused the flames to spread quickly.
