Greater Noida, Sep 24 (IANS): Passengers travelling on the double-decker bus that caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida had reportedly noticed a burning smell minutes before the blaze erupted; however, the driver and conductor allegedly continued smoking cigarettes inside the vehicle, according to the first information report (FIR).
Nine people, including a woman, were charred to death and several were seriously injured after a massive fire broke out in the bus, officials said.
The FIR stated that passengers had earlier objected to the driver and conductor smoking inside the bus. However, the two allegedly laughed off their objections and threatened the passengers, asking them to remain quiet and not raise the issue further.
According to the FIR, a strong burning odour subsequently began spreading through the moving bus.
The passengers noticed the smell and informed the driver about it, but he and the conductor allegedly dismissed their concerns, saying that such a smell was common inside the bus and that they often experienced it.
Despite repeated requests from the passengers to check the source of the smell, the driver allegedly did not carry out any inspection of the vehicle. Instead, he and the conductor continued smoking cigarettes while the bus was travelling on the expressway, the FIR said.
A few minutes later, flames were reportedly seen emerging from the front portion of the bus, causing panic among the passengers travelling inside the vehicle.
As the fire began spreading and passengers started screaming for help, the driver allegedly refused to stop the bus.
According to the FIR, the driver told the passengers, “I don’t care if you die, I won’t stop the bus.”
The incident involved a Bihar-registered sleeper tourist bus that was travelling from Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh. The vehicle was carrying more than 35 people when the fire broke out on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida.
The blaze rapidly engulfed the bus, while thick and dense smoke filled the vehicle, making it extremely difficult for the passengers to find a way out.
Upon receiving the information, senior police officials, accompanied by the local police force, a rescue tender, and a fire tender stationed at the Jewar Toll Plaza, responded, according to the officials. Four additional fire tenders and a fire service unit immediately rushed to the scene and completely extinguished the fire.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire originated from a spark or blast in the bus’s air conditioning system, which ignited the engine’s lubricating oil and caused the fire to spread rapidly.
The driver and conductor were taken into custody, and a case was registered under relevant sections, 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. Further necessary legal proceedings are underway,” officials said.
Further details are awaited.
