By Matters India Reporters
Mumbai, July 1, 2023: At least 26 people were charred to death and seven others wounded in the early hours of July 1 when a private bus caught fire on an express way in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district.
The accident took place at 1:26 am between Dusarbid and Sindkedraja at Pimpalkhuta village when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The bus overturned after ramming into a road median and caught fire.
The bus, carrying 33 people, was heading for Pune and the accident occurred on the Samruddhi-Mahamarg Expressway. The victims include three children.
Police said the diesel tank of the bus caught fire after it overturned hitting a road median. “The driver of the bus, who survived the incident, said that the bus hit the pole after a tire burst,” they said.
Police said most passengers were sleeping at the time of the accident. The bus overturned on the side of the doors, preventing people from getting out.
A police officer said his department has ordered a probe and took the driver into custody.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of lives.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a compensation of 500,000 each for the families of those killed in the accident.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the bodies were charred beyond recognition and if the identity of the victims is not established, then DNA testing will be conducted.
Fadnavis said a smart system is being installed on the expressway to prevent accidents. “The system will check the speed of vehicles and alert them. But it will take some time. Till then, we will have to create awareness among drivers at the toll booths on what precautions need to be taken to prevent accidents at night,” he said.
The Chief Minister and his deputy later visited the accident site and interacted with the policemen and district administration officials involved in the rescue work.
“The government has taken this incident seriously and steps will be taken to ensure that accidents and errors don’t happen,” Shinde said.