At least 25 people have died and eight were injured after a private bus caught fire at the Samruddhi-Mahamarg expressway in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district in the wee hours of Saturday, 1 July.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the accident site on Saturday afternoon.
Details: A total of 33 people were travelling in the bus which met with an accident at around 1:30 am, the police said.
"A total of 33 people were travelling on the bus out of which 25 people died and 8 people sustained injuries. The driver of the bus also survived and said that the bus overturned after a tyre burst leading to flames in the bus."Sunil Kadasane, Superintendent of Police, Buldhana
"I boarded the Vidarbha Travels bus from Nagpur for Aurangabad. The bus overturned and caught fire immediately after it met with an accident on Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway. 3-4 people broke the window and escaped, soon after there was a blast in the bus," Yogesh Ramdas Gavai, a survivor, told news agency ANI.
The bus was travelling from Nagpur to Pune.
"There are 3 children among those who died and the rest are adults. The exact reason for the accident has not yet been ascertained," the SP added.
Meanwhile, efforts are being made to ascertain the identity of the victims, for which the authorities have decided to conduct DNA tests, reported ANI.
"It appears that the accident happened due to a tyre burst. We are cooperating with the administration."Virendra Darne, owner of the bus, to ANI
PM Expresses Grief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the accident and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
"Deeply saddened by the devastating bus mishap in Buldhana, Maharashtra. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected," PMO tweeted.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde also expressed his condolences for the family of the deceased and has announced an an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakhs for them, CMO tweeted.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)