Yamuna Expressway bus fire: Mahoba mother and son among nine dead
A woman with limited mobility and her son died in a bus fire on the Yamuna Expressway that killed nine people. Passengers had warned the crew of a burning smell.
A woman and her son were among nine people killed when a bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway, in an incident where passengers say they had flagged a burning smell to the crew minutes before flames erupted.
Sunita and Shashank, wife and son of Mahoba BJP district treasurer Neeraj Gupta, were among the dead. The family lived in the Rajmandir area of Charkhari town.
Sunita had difficulty walking and was seated at the rear of the bus when the fire broke out. When the driver asked passengers to get off, Shashank tried to help his mother out, but her limited mobility made it impossible to move her in time. Both collapsed from the smoke and suffered severe burns.
The bodies were badly burnt and were identified through DNA testing, along with physical features recognised by family members. Several BJP leaders, including former MP Pushpendra Singh Chandel, visited the family's home after the deaths.
What the FIR records
According to the FIR, passengers had objected to the driver and conductor smoking inside the bus. The two reportedly laughed off the complaints and told passengers to stay quiet.
A burning smell then began filling the moving bus, which passengers pointed out to the driver. The driver and conductor dismissed their concerns, saying it was a smell they usually noticed inside the bus. Despite repeated requests, the driver did not check the vehicle and continued smoking.
Minutes later, flames broke out from the front of the bus. As passengers began screaming, the FIR states the driver told them he did not care if they died and would not stop the bus.
The bus, registered in Bihar, was travelling from Delhi to Mahoba and was carrying more than 35 people. It was quickly engulfed, and thick smoke made escape difficult. Nine people died and several others were injured. Visuals from the scene showed the bus completely charred as fire brigade teams worked to douse the blaze and rescue passengers.
A preliminary investigation found the fire began with a blast in the bus's air conditioning system, which ignited the engine's lubricating oil and caused the flames to spread rapidly.
Both the driver and the conductor survived. Police have detained them for questioning.
Records for the bus showed more than 60 fines for traffic rule violations, of which 20 remain unpaid. Vehicle information records put the outstanding fines at over Rs 1.7 lakh for the bus, registered as BR32PA8647.