NAGPUR, Jul 1 (Agencies): At least 26 people, including three children, were charred to death and seven others suffered injuries after a private travels bus they were travelling in caught fire on the Samruddhi Mahamarg in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district on July 1.
According to police, the accident took place at 1.26 a.m. between Dusarbid and Sindkedraja at Pimpalkhuta village in the district when the driver lost control of the wheel following a tyre burst and collided with an iron pole and overturned upon ramming into a road median before it caught fire.
Bus involved in Maharashtra’s Samruddhi Expressway accident was less than four years old: Official
A total of 33 passengers were travelling in the bus operated by Vidarbha Travels which was on its way from Nagpur to Pune. The survivors were rushed to hospitals at Sindkedraja and Buldhana for immediate medical assistance, and are said to be stable.
Challenging task for police to identify victims
“As many as 26 passengers were charred to death and seven individuals survived the ordeal. The survivors escaped from the bus by breaking the glass panes,” police said, adding that due to severe burns suffered by the recovered bodies, identifying the victims has become challenging.
Buldhana SP Sunil Kadasne said Prime facie, it appears that a tyre burst and the bus hit an electric pole, [and then] a divider and caught fire.
According to eyewitnesses, the bus overturned and came to rest on its left side, with the door buried, leaving no escape route. “Tragically, the passengers were trapped inside. We saw them dying but were not in a position to offer help as the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Either the diesel tank or the supply pipe from the tank to the engine had burst, resulting in the bus catching fire,” said Advocate Sandeep who rushed to the spot to help the victims.
Survivors recounted that those who managed to break the glass windows with their hands were the only ones who could escape. “Everything happened in a fraction. The driver lost control, it overturned and caught fire before we could realise what was happening. Everyone was screaming their lungs out for help, but the ongoing vehicles didn’t care to stop and rescue us. Someone of us managed to escape by breaking the glass windows,” a survivor said.
President Murmu condoles deaths, PM Modi, CM Shinde announce ex gratia
President Droupadi Murmu on July 1 said the heart-wrenching incident of a bus catching fire in Maharashtra claiming more than 25 lives was extremely disturbing and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
Rescue staff and others at the site after at least twenty six bus passengers were charred to death when their vehicle caught fire on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district on July 1, 2023.
Rescue staff and others at the site after at least twenty six bus passengers were charred to death when their vehicle caught fire on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district on July 1, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI
“The heart-wrenching tragedy in Buldhana, Maharashtra, claiming many precious lives, including children and women, is extremely disturbing.
“My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. May they have enough courage to bear this tragic loss. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Ms. Murmu tweeted
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 1 announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of those who died in the bus accident in Buldhana. He has also announced ₹50,000 to those who were injured in the mishap
”Deeply saddened by the devastating bus mishap in Buldhana, Maharashtra. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected. An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF [Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund] would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the bus mishap in Buldhana. ₹50,000 would be given to the injured,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted quoting PM Modi.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his condolences to the families of 25 persons who lost their lives in the tragic accident and announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh for the next of kin of each victim.
“It is a tragic road accident. I spoke to Collector, Inspector General of Police and SP, and ordered an inquiry into the incident,” he said.
Both, Mr. Shinde and his Deputy Devendra Fadnavis are likely to visit the accident site.
26 bus passengers charred to death after vehicle catches fire in Maharashtra’s Buldhana
