Passengers Raised Alarm Over Smoke, Driver Allegedly Failed to Stop Bus

A tragic bus fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida late Wednesday night claimed nine lives, including a woman. The sleeper bus reportedly caught fire while travelling, with the flames spreading rapidly within minutes. Some passengers managed to escape by jumping out of the vehicle, while others were trapped inside. A preliminary investigation reportedly pointed to a possible short circuit, while the driver and conductor were taken into custody.

According to the FIR, passengers noticed smoke and a burning smell from the driver’s cabin after the bus had travelled around 33 km. They reportedly alerted the driver and conductor, but the vehicle was not stopped for inspection. The FIR also alleges that the two continued smoking cigarettes or bidis inside the bus. The fire subsequently spread rapidly through the vehicle. Police identified the bus owner as being from Madhya Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced compensation of ₹2 lakh for each deceased person’s family and ₹50,000 for those injured. The bus reportedly had pending challans worth ₹1.75 lakh, including a penalty related to a minor allegedly driving the vehicle.