9 dead as AC sleeper bus catches fire in Greater Noida; driver, conductor flee | India News

Nine people were killed after an AC sleeper bus they were travelling in caught fire in Greater Noida late on Wednesday.According to the police, the bus with 35 passengers was travelling from Noida to Mahoba when the incident took place in Dayanatpur village in Jewar, on the Yamuna Expressway. The bus driver and conductor managed to flee the spot.In a statement, the Greater Noida police said the fire erupted after a blast in the bus' AC. "The fire broke out after a spark or blast in the bus’s AC caused the engine lubricating oil to catch fire, allowing the flames to spread rapidly," it said. The police said the fire on the bus bearing a Bihar registration broke out around 11pm. “A few passengers said that as the bus reached the Yamuna Expressway, they experienced a small burning-smell and asked the driver to stop,” Jewar Station House Officer (SHO) Ajay Kumar Singh said.“By the time the driver stopped the vehicle, the fire broke out and quickly engulfed the vehicle. There were 35 passengers onboard. Nine people, including a woman, failed to escape,” he added.Police also said the driver and conductor had managed to escape by the time a team reached the spot. “Efforts are on to nab them,” the SHO said.A case will be registered and a detailed probe initiated, he added.Speaking to news agency ANI, a passenger who managed to escape said: “I was sleeping when someone woke me up saying the bus had caught fire, and we all scrambled to get out. It was not an easy situation to escape, there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out. The bus was packed with passengers.”According to officials, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the fire and expressed condolences to the families of those killed. He spoke to the families and directed possible assistance to them in the case.He also directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment of the injured.