25 people charred to death as the bus hit the pole. 8 people injured including the driver.
The accident took place at around 2:00 a.m. on Saturday on the Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway. The private travel bus was on its way from Nagpur to Pune.
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About the incident
A private travel bus was carrying 33 passengers from Nagpur to Pune via Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway in Maharashtra’s Buldhana. It was a sleeper bus and due to the mattress on board the bus caught fire immediately.
Buldhana SP Sunil Kadasne told PTI that according to the preliminary information, a bus tyre burst due to which the bus collided with a pole and rammed into the divider near Pimpalkhuta village. The driver said that the bus overturned after the tyre burst resulting in flames according to Kadasne.
Preliminary Police Investigation
“The bus was travelling at a high speed when it hit the pole and then a wall on the highway. Due to its impact, the two (front) tyres came off and the diesel tank of the bus exploded, following which the bus caught fire,” said a senior police official.
The police who are involved in filing an FIR against the bus driver suspect that the bus driver might have fallen asleep while driving. “The driver of the bus has survived. Another driver, who was sleeping inside the bus, has died,” the official added.
Government’ Action
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde have announced ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of the kin deceased in the accident, according to his office. Also they will bear the cost of treatment for those who are injured. “The state government will bear the cost of treatment of the injured,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah UP CM Yogi Adityanath and various other leaders expressed their grievances over the incident.
