- Huge flames and smoke on a double-decker bus killed at least nine on Yamuna Expressway
- The Bihar-registered bus was traveling from Delhi to UP's Mahoba with over 30 passengers
- Passengers described chaos and difficulty escaping due to dense smoke and panic
Huge flames and dense smoke on the ill-fated tourist bus on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida killed at least nine people, with passengers who escaped saying getting out was "extremely difficult".
The incident happened late last night, when most passengers were asleep on the Bihar-registered bus, which was travelling from Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh. The bus carried more than 30 passengers. The fire triggered chaos, prompting several passengers to escape by jumping out through the vehicle's windows.
"We were sleeping when someone shouted 'get out quickly, the bus is on fire'. In no time it was all smoke," a survivor told NDTV from the hospital bed.
The 64-year-old woman, who was going from Delhi to Mahoba after her mother-in-law died, also said that other passengers had run over her while escaping.
"Everyone was running," she added.
She said that her husband could not even get up.
"No one gave him a chance. His leg is broken and no one gave him a chance," she said.
Another passenger said she was asleep when the fire broke out.
"When I woke up, there was already a huge crowd. I didn't pick up any of my belongings; I didn't even put on my shoes. I just grabbed my phone and stepped out. It was so crowded that people were shoving each other. I was pushed around, and someone eventually pulled me out. I don't remember anything else after that," she recalled.
She said it was "so smoky" that nothing was visible.
"People were suffocating inside. Very few managed to escape, only those who could push their way out amidst the shoving. Many people lost their lives. There were quite a few people behind me who probably couldn't make it out, as I myself got out quite late," the survivor said.
Another survivor said it was not an easy situation to escape from.
"There was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out in a state of panic. The bus was packed with passengers," the passenger told news agency ANI.
Visuals showed the bus completely charred and engulfed in flames as fire brigade teams continued to put out the fire and rescue passengers.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but reports suggest it may have been due to a short-circuit.
According to a preliminary report, the bus was carrying a large quantity of luggage, including baggage loaded on its roof.
The incident has once again raised questions over the safety and negligence of double-decker bus operators.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the families of those who died in the fire and directed officials to ensure proper treatment for those injured.
