"They Were Sleeping": 25 Dead As Bus Catches Fire On Maharashtra Expressway

At least 25 people, including three children, were killed and eight others injured when the bus they were travelling in caught fire on an expressway in Maharashtra early this morning.

About 33 people were in the bus which was on its way to Pune, officials said, adding that the accident occurred at around 1.30 am on the Samruddhi-Mahamarg Expressway.

Police said the bus overturned after hitting a pole on the expressway in Buldhana district, causing its diesel tank to catch fire. “The driver of the bus, who survived the incident, said that the bus hit the pole after a tyre burst," they said.

Police said most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of the accident. The bus overturned on the side of the doors, blocking it, because of which nobody could get out, they said.

"25 people were burnt to death in the accident. The injured have been shifted to a hospital for treatment, said, Sunil Kadasane, Superintendent of Police, Buldhana.

He said investigation is on to ascertain the exact cause of the accident and that the driver has been taken into custody. "The priority at this moment is to identify the bodies and hand them over to their family members," said Mr Kadasane.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss of lives.

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: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 1, 2023

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also expressed his anguish over the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for families of those who have died.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the bodies were charred beyond recognition and if the identity of the victims is not established, then DNA testing will be conducted.

Mr Fadnavis said a smart system is being installed on the expressway to prevent accidents. "The system will check the speed of vehicles and alert them. But it will take some time. Till then, we will have to create awareness among drivers at the toll booths on what precautions need to be taken to prevent accidents at night," he said.

The Chief Minister and his deputy later visited the accident site and interacted with the policemen and district administration officials involved in the rescue work.

"The government has taken this incident seriously and steps will be taken to ensure that accidents and errors don't happen," Mr Shinde said.