25 bus passengers died when their vehicle catches fire on Maharashtra’s Samruddhi Expressway. The private travels bus was traveling from Nagpur to Pune when it struck a pole and then crashed into a divider at 1.30 a.m. near the village of Pimpalkhuta, according to police.
According to police, the bus turned turtle and caught fire. Twenty-five passengers were burned to death early Saturday morning on the Samruddhi Expressway in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra after their bus collided with a divider following a tire blowout, police said.
The private bus was traveling from Nagpur to Pune when it collided with a divider at 1.30 a.m. in the Pimpalkhuta village near Sindkhedraja in Buldhana, approximately 134 kilometers from here, according to witnesses.
Eight others, including the bus driver and the bus’s cleaner, escaped the burning vehicle through shattered windows, the police said, adding that the driver was being interrogated and that an arrest warrant had been issued for him.
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Sunil Kadasne, superintendent of police in Buldhana, told PTI, “There were 33 passengers in the bus, of whom 25 were charred to death. The other eight passengers were taken to a nearby hospital and are safe.” He stated that, according to preliminary information, the bus’s tire ruptured and the vehicle struck a pole before colliding with a divider and catching fire.
Friday at 4:00 p.m., the Vidarbha Travels bus departed Nagpur for Pune. The bus reportedly stopped at Karanja in the Yavatmal district for dinner, but was involved in an accident shortly after continuing its voyage.
One of the unfortunate bus’s survivors stated that he and a few others escaped the blazing vehicle by shattering the rear window. He said:
“A tyre of the bus burst, and the vehicle caught fire immediately. The blaze spread in no time. A passenger sitting next to me and I managed to escape by breaking the rear window.” Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde ordered an investigation into the accident.
PM Modi proclaimed ex-gratia payments of Rs. 2 lahks to the families of each victim:
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the bus mishap in Buldhana. Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 1, 2023
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the bodies of the deceased were irretrievably charred and that DNA testing would be administered if the identity of the victims could not be determined.
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According to a statement issued by the chief minister’s office, CM Shinde spoke with the district collector and SP for Buldhana and assessed the situation. A medical team and fire department personnel stationed on the expressway reached the scene and began rescue operations.
The injured were reportedly transported to a nearby hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other leaders lamented the loss of life.
In a tweet, PM Modi said,
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: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 1, 2023
Home Minister Shah described the accident as heartbreaking. He tweeted in Hindi:
महाराष्ट्र के बुलढाणा जिले में हुआ सड़क हादसा हृदयविदारक है। दुःख की इस घड़ी में मेरी संवेदनाएं इस भीषण हादसे में जान गंवाने वाले लोगों के परिजनों के साथ हैं। प्रशासन द्वारा घायलों को त्वरित उपचार उपलब्ध कराया जा रहा है। ईश्वर से उनके शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की प्रार्थना करता हूँ।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 1, 2023
Visuals from Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway in Buldhana surfaced:
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Visuals from Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway in Buldhana where 26 people died and 8 others were injured after a bus travelling from Nagpur to Pune met with an accident. pic.twitter.com/3JTRLzKuZH
— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2023
Nitin Gadkari, a minister of the Union, stated in a tweet that the mortality of passengers in the accident was extremely regrettable, painful, and tragic:
बुलढाणा जिल्ह्यातील सिंदखेडराजाजवळ समृद्धी महामार्गावर झालेल्या बसच्या अपघातात २५ जणांचा मृत्यू झाल्याची घटना अत्यंत दुर्दैवी, वेदनादायी व दु:खद आहे. अपघातातील मृतांना माझी भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली. जखमींना लवकरात लवकर स्वास्थ्य मिळावे अशी प्रार्थना करतो. ईश्वर दिवंगतांना शांती…
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 1, 2023
Deputy Prime Minister Fadnavis expressed his condolences for the loss of life and stated that the injured passengers were no longer in peril.
In December of 2017, PM Modi inaugurated the 520-kilometer-long Phase-1 of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg. It is Fadnavis’ pet initiative, and its official name is Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg.
Sharad Pawar, leader of the NCP, conveyed sorrow over the tragedy and urged the government to reduce the speed limit for private vehicles.
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“The government should take immediate steps to prevent accidents,” he said, adding that he had expressed concern about the number of accidents on the expressway only a week ago.
Ajit Pawar, the leader of the opposition in the state legislature, stated that the bus tragedy has once again brought the issue of vehicle and passenger safety to the forefront.
The government must take immediate action to prevent such catastrophes. According to him, the number of accidents on the expressway remains high due to the poor condition of the roadway and human error.