India bus fire: Passengers warned of burning smell, FIR says

Passengers aboard a double-decker sleeper bus that caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway had warned the driver about a burning smell minutes before the vehicle was engulfed in flames, but their concerns were allegedly ignored, according to a police complaint filed after the disaster.

Nine people were killed and several others injured when the bus, travelling from Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh, caught fire near the 33km milestone of the expressway in Greater Noida late on Wednesday.

The driver and conductor have been arrested and a case registered as authorities investigate the cause of the blaze, IANS and ANI reported.

According to the FIR registered at Jewar Police Station, passengers first complained about the driver and conductor smoking cigarettes inside the bus. The two allegedly dismissed the objections and threatened passengers who raised the issue.

A strong burning smell later began spreading through the bus, prompting passengers to alert the driver, the FIR said. They repeatedly asked him to stop and check the vehicle, but he allegedly told them that such smells were common on the bus and continued driving.

The FIR alleges that the driver and conductor continued smoking even as passengers became increasingly concerned.

Minutes later, flames were seen coming from the front of the bus.

Driver allegedly refused to stop

As panic spread and passengers screamed for the vehicle to be stopped, the driver allegedly continued driving.

The FIR quotes him as telling passengers: “I don’t care if you die, I won’t stop the bus.”

The fire then spread rapidly through the vehicle, while thick smoke made it difficult for passengers to escape.

Noida Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Kumar told ANI that fire and rescue teams evacuated between 20 and 25 passengers from the bus.

“Nine people died due to suffocation and fire injuries. A case has been registered, and the driver and conductor have been arrested. Further investigation is underway,” Kumar said.

The Bihar-registered AC sleeper bus was travelling from Kashmiri Gate in New Delhi to Mahoba and was carrying about 30 to 35 passengers, according to the FIR. Other accounts put the number aboard at more than 35.

Firefighters stationed at the Jewar Toll Plaza were among the first to respond. Four additional fire tenders and a fire service unit were subsequently sent to the scene before the blaze was brought under control, according to IANS.

Survivor searches for husband

Among those injured was a woman being treated at Aarogyadhara Hospital in Jewar, who told IANS that she had been travelling to Mahoba with her husband following a death in the family.

“I was going from Hisar, Chandannagar to Mahoba with my husband because my mother-in-law had passed away,” she said.

Asked about her husband after the fire, she broke down and said she did not know where he was.

“His name is Devendra,” she said.

Describing the moments when the fire erupted, she said: “I don’t know what happened; suddenly the bus caught fire, and people started panicking and shouting ‘fire, fire’.”

Some passengers who suffered minor injuries were later allowed to continue to Mahoba, either in private vehicles or through special transport arranged for them, officials said.

Short circuit suspected

Authorities have yet to announce a definitive cause of the fire.

Gautam Buddha Nagar Additional District Magistrate Ajeet Kumar Singh told IANS that preliminary findings pointed to an electrical fault.

“The fire was caused due to a short circuit,” he said.

“As you might know, the tragic accident occurred around 11.15 p.m. on Wednesday. Preliminary investigation reveals that a short circuit caused a fire on the bus. It was an AC sleeper bus travelling from Delhi to Mahoba. Nine people died and one of the victims, a woman, is being treated at the Aarogyadhara Hospital,” Singh said.

Other preliminary information cited by IANS suggested that a spark or blast in the bus’s air-conditioning system may have ignited engine lubricating oil, allowing the flames to spread rapidly. Investigators are examining the precise sequence of events.

Rs200,000 compensation

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the deaths.

“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,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister announced Rs200,000 from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each person killed and Rs50,000 for each injured passenger.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath separately announced assistance of Rs200,000 for the family of each victim and Rs50,000 for those injured.

- With inputs from IANS and ANI