NOIDA: The private bus that caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway near Jewar, killing nine passengers, had a trail of registrations, certificates and reported traffic violations spanning multiple states, even as it continued to operate on the Delhi-Mahoba route.The bus, bearing registration number BR32PA8647, was registered with the transport department in Madhubani, Bihar, although its owner is reportedly a resident of Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh.The vehicle was allegedly being operated by Raj Kalpana Travels, a company based in Madhya Pradesh.Its regulatory records also point to other states. The bus’s fitness certificate was issued in Rajasthan, while its pollution certificate was issued in Haryana.It operated on a route connecting Kashmere Gate in Delhi with Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh, before the fatal blaze occurred near Jewar in Greater Noida.The bus’s records reportedly show 19 fines amounting to around Rs 1.75 lakh.
Passengers noticed burning smell before fire
The questions over the bus’s safety have come amid allegations in the FIR that passengers had warned the driver and conductor about a burning smell shortly before the fire broke out.According to the complaint filed by Suneel Kumar, a resident of Hamirpur, he boarded the Raj Kalpana Travels bus at Kashmere Gate around 9pm on Wednesday. He said around 30-35 passengers were travelling in the vehicle.The bus reached around the 33-km point of the Yamuna Expressway at about 11.30pm, when passengers allegedly noticed a burning smell coming from the driver’s cabin.The complaint alleges that passengers alerted the driver and conductor, but they did not stop the bus or inspect the source of the smell. The driver allegedly dismissed the smell as something common in the vehicle.The FIR further alleges that the driver and conductor continued smoking bidis and cigarettes inside the cabin. Shortly afterwards, flames reportedly erupted near the driver’s seat and began spreading through the bus.When passengers raised an alarm and asked the driver to stop, the two allegedly refused to do so, with the FIR quoting them as saying, “If you want to die, then die; we won’t stop the bus.”These allegations are part of the passenger’s complaint and are being investigated by police.
Fire traps passengers inside bus
By the time the bus stopped, the fire had reportedly spread through the vehicle and thick smoke had filled the passenger compartment. Some passengers, including Kumar, managed to escape by jumping out of the bus, while others were trapped inside.Fire and rescue teams were rushed to the spot after information about the blaze was received. Officials said around 20-25 passengers were evacuated, while nine people died from burns and suffocation.The injured were taken to Kailash Hospital in Jewar, where the nine deceased were declared dead.The fire also destroyed passengers’ luggage, mobile phones and other belongings kept inside the bus, including baggage stored in the luggage compartment and on the roof.
Driver, conductor arrested
Police have arrested the driver and conductor and registered an FIR at Jewar police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 281, 125(b), 105 and 351(3).Investigators are examining the circumstances in which the fire started, the condition of the bus, the allegations about the driver’s and conductor’s response to the initial warning and the vehicle’s regulatory records.The bus’s previous fines and certificates from different states are also likely to come under scrutiny as part of the investigation into whether safety and permit requirements were followed.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the nine deceased and Rs 50,000 for each injured person from the PM National Relief Fund. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also announced Rs 2 lakh for each deceased person’s family and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
