Nine passengers killed as sleeper bus catches fire, driver smokes amidst driving, ignored burning smell

LUCKNOW: Nine passengers were killed after a private sleeper bus caught fire on Yamuna Expressway near Jewar on Wednesday night at 11.30 pm. The bus of Raja Kalpana Travels carrying nearly 35 passengers were heading towards Agra from New Delhi. Several passengers sustained injuries in the accident.

Sunil Kumar of Hamirpur, a passenger of the bus, filed a complaint against the driver and the conductor. His complaint said the employees ignored warning of a burning smell coming from the driver’s cabin. They were unwilling to stop the bus and check from where the smell was coming. The driver and conductor, who were inside the cabin, were smoking continuously. Sunil Kumar alleged that the passengers’ concerns were dismissed, with the employees saying that such a smell was normal on the bus.

Within a short time, the fire broke out from the driver's seat. Although passengers screamed and asked the driver to stop the bus, he reportedly could not act quickly. As the bus rapidly filled with fire and smoke, several passengers got trapped inside. Sunil and a few other passengers managed to escape by jumping out after the bus stopped. The injured passengers have been shifted to Kailash Hospital in Jewar.

The passengers’ luggage, including their valuables, was completely destroyed in the fire. Based on Sunil Kumar’s complaint, the police registered a case and launched an investigation. The details of the dead and the cause of the fire are not clear. The police said a detailed investigation would be conducted by collecting scientific evidence and statements from passengers.