NOIDA: Nine passengers were killed after a private bus travelling from Delhi to Mahoba caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway near Jewar late Wednesday night. Several other passengers sustained burn injuries and were rushed to Kailash Hospital in Jewar, officials said.According to a police complaint, passengers noticed a burning smell coming from the driver’s cabin and alerted the driver and conductor.They allegedly asked the two to stop the bus and check the source of the smell, but the driver and conductor did not stop or inspect the cabin.The complaint further alleged that the driver and conductor continued smoking inside the cabin and dismissed the passengers’ concerns, saying that such a smell was common in the bus.The incident occurred around 11.30pm near kilometre 33 of the Yamuna Expressway, when the bus, operated by Raj Kalpana Travels, was travelling from Delhi towards Agra.The complainant, Sunil Kumar, a resident of Hamirpur, told police that around 30-35 passengers were travelling in the bus.A short while after passengers raised the alarm about the smell, flames suddenly erupted near the driver’s seat and rapidly spread through the vehicle. Passengers repeatedly asked the driver to stop the bus, but he allegedly failed to act immediately, according to the complaint.As the fire intensified, smoke filled the passenger compartment, leaving several people trapped inside.Sunil and some other passengers managed to escape by jumping out of the bus after it stopped. Several others, however, were unable to get out because of the flames and thick smoke.The injured passengers were taken to Kailash Hospital in Jewar for treatment. On reaching the hospital, the complainant was informed that doctors had declared nine people dead.The complaint stated that passengers’ bags, mobile phones and other belongings were destroyed in the fire. Luggage kept in the bus’s luggage compartment and on its roof was also burnt.Police have registered a case based on the complaint and initiated an investigation.The identities of the deceased and the exact cause of the fire are yet to be officially ascertained.Police are examining the bus, statements of survivors and other evidence to determine how the fire started and whether safety precautions were ignored.
