25 people killed after bus catches fire on Maharashtra expressway

At least 25 people died after a bus carrying 33 passengers burst into flames on the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway in Maharashtra’s Buldhana, police said. Deputy SP Baburao Mahamuni said that the injured were to Buldhana Civil Hospital, reported ANI.

The incident happened around 2 am on Saturday when a private travels bus was on its way from Nagpur to Pune and rammed into a divider near Sindkhedraja in Buldhana district, police said.

Buldhana SP Sunil Kadasne told PTI that as per preliminary information, a bus tyre burst and the vehicle hit a pole, collided with a divider and caught fire. Of the 33 passengers in the bus, 25 were charred to death.

The driver of the bus, who survived the incident, said that the bus overturned after a tyre burst leading to flames in the bus, according to Kadasane.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased in the bus accident, according to his office.

Calling the incident ‘very shocking and heart-wrenching’, Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said his government is in touch with the district as well as the police administration and all kinds of help are being provided immediately.

“The state government will bear the cost of treatment of the injured,” he said.

Union home minister Amit Shah expressed grief over the incident and said that treatment is being provided to the injured by the administration.

“The road accident in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district is heartbreaking. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific accident. Quick treatment is being provided to the injured by the administration. I pray to God for his speedy recovery,” Shah said in a tweet in Hindi.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted, “The loss of lives in the unfortunate incident of fire in a bus on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway is extremely sad and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families.”

“I pray to God that the departed souls get a place in his holy feet and the injured get speedy recovery.”