Buldhana: In a devastating incident, a bus carrying passengers on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district caught fire after hitting a divider due to a burst tire, resulting in the deaths of 25 individuals in the early hours of Saturday. The privately-owned bus was en route from Nagpur to Pune when the accident occurred around 1:30 am near Sindkhedraja in Buldhana, approximately 134 km from the state capital.
Fortunately, eight people, including the bus driver and cleaner, managed to survive the tragedy by escaping through broken windows before the bus was engulfed in flames. The accident is currently under investigation as per the orders of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who has also shown his concern for the families of the deceased by announcing a compensation of Rs five lakh for each family. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has highlighted that due to the severe burns it is difficult to identify the bodies of the victims. In case their identities cannot be determined DNA testing will be initiated.
According to Buldhana Superintendent of Police Sunil Kadasne, there were a total of 33 passengers on the bus, out of which 25 lost their lives in the fire. Preliminary information suggests that a tyre burst caused the bus to collide with a pole before hitting a divider and catching fire.
The bus, owned by Vidarbha Travels, had departed from Nagpur at 4 pm on Friday, with a scheduled stop at Karanja in Yavatmal district for dinner. The accident occurred after the journey resumed. Following the collision with the divider, the bus flipped onto its right side, with the entrance/exit door facing upwards. Within moments, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Some passengers managed to escape through the broken windows at the rear of the bus, according to a senior police official from Buldhana.
One survivor shared his harrowing experience, recounting how he and a few others broke the rear window to escape from the burning bus. Disturbingly, the survivors revealed that they sought help from passing vehicles on the highway but received no assistance.