Rescue workers near the passenger bus which met with an accident and caught fire killing 25 passengers on the Samruddhi Expressway, in Buldhana district. (PTI)
Officials revealed that the bus erupted in flames within minutes of the accident and the passengers could have had a better chance of survival if there were more accessible exit points
Authorities investigating the incident in which 25 passengers were charred to death, while only eight managed to survive after the bus they were travelling in caught fire after colliding with a pole and divider on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district on Saturday said more passengers were unable to escape as the exit doors were inaccessible and the vehicle was was engulfed in flames within a matter of minutes.
At least 33 people were on board the bus belonging to Vidarbha Travels, which had departed from Nagpur for Pune at 4 pm on Friday. The bus made a stop at Karanja in Yavatmal district for dinner but met with the accident shortly thereafter.
Eight people, including the driver and cleaner, managed to survive the incident, while the injured were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
The authorities have decided to conduct DNA testing on the charred bodies of the victims in order to identify them before handing them over to their relatives.
Driver Danish Sheikh Ismail Sheikh was detained following the incident.
Officials revealed that the vehicle erupted in flames within minutes and the passengers could have had a better chance of survival if there were more accessible exit points. “After hitting the pole and divider, the bus overturned and fell on its right side with its entry/exit door of facing the sky. Within minutes, the vehicle caught fire. Some of the passengers were able to come out of the broken windows from the rear side,” a senior police official from Buldhana told PTI.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ordered a probe into the accident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for the families of each deceased.
‘Human Error’
The Amravati Regional Transport Office (RTO) who conducted a probe into the incident said the ‘tyre burst’ claim made by the driver could not have caused the accident as there were no pieces of rubber or tyre markings at the scene.
According to information shared by one of the survivors, the bus collided with a steel pole on the right side of the road, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle. Subsequently, the bus struck the divider, as stated in the report. The police have raised suspicions that “human error” may have been the cause of the accident.
Sheikh was arrested and taken into custody in the morning after it was determined that the accident was a result of “reckless and negligent driving”. The driver has been charged under IPC Section 304, along with sections 134, 184, and 279 of the Motor Vehicle Act.
CM Shinde termed the accident as “unfortunate” and stressed the need for drivers on the expressway to exercise caution while driving. Speaking to reporters at the accident site, he said measures would be taken to prevent accidents on the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway.
“So far, most of the accidents on the Samruddhi Expressway have occurred due to human errors. But the government has taken this accident seriously and steps will be taken to ensure that accidents and errors don’t happen,” he said.
Experts would be consulted before putting in place measures to prevent accidents, he added. “The death of 25 persons in today’s accident is unfortunate. They could not be saved as the door of the bus was locked. Eight people could come out.”
