In a devastating incident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday, a bus carrying passengers caught fire on the Samruddhi Expressway in Buldhana district, Maharashtra. Authorities reported that 26 individuals lost their lives in the blaze.
The bus, which belonged to a private travels company, was en route from Nagpur to Pune when it collided with a pole and crashed into a divider near Pimpalkhuta village around 1:30 am. The vehicle overturned and quickly became engulfed in flames.
Out of the 34 passengers on board, only eight managed to survive the horrific accident. These survivors were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The passengers hailed from various places, including Nagpur, Wardha, and Yavatmal. Preliminary information provided by the police indicates that the driver attributed the accident to a burst tire, which triggered the fire.
Subsequently, the bus’s diesel tank also caught fire. Among the victims, three were children, while the rest were adults. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, as stated by Buldhana SP Sunil Kadasane.
Expressing his profound sorrow over the incident, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the families of the deceased.
बुलढाणा जिल्ह्यातील सिंदखेडराजाजवळ समृद्धी महामार्गावर खाजगी बसच्या झालेल्या भीषण अपघाताबद्दल मुख्यमंत्री एकनाथ शिंदे यांनी तीव्र दुःख व्यक्त केले आहे. या अपघातातील मृत आणि त्यांच्या कुटुंबिंयांप्रति सहवेदना प्रकट करुन या दुर्दैवी घटनेतील मृतांच्या नातेवाईकांना मुख्यमंत्री…
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 1, 2023
He expressed his condolences and ordered an inquiry into the tragic event. The Chief Minister promptly contacted the Collector and Superintendent of Police of Buldhana for information on the incident. He directed the authorities to provide immediate assistance and medical treatment at government expense to the injured passengers.
Emergency medical service teams and the fire brigade promptly arrived at the scene to rescue the injured and extinguish the fire. The injured individuals were transported to the hospital for treatment.
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