Several dead after moving bus catches fire on Yamuna Expressway

A passenger bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway

NOIDA: Nine passengers were killed after a Bihar-registered sleeper bus heading to Mahoba caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway near Noida International Airport late Wednesday night.Around 35 people were on board. While several passengers managed to escape by jumping through windows, others were trapped inside the burning bus.A passenger travelling on the bus said he was asleep when someone banged on the door and alerted passengers about the fire.“I was asleep when someone banged on the door. When I woke up, there was already a huge crowd. I didn’t pick up any of my belongings; I didn’t even put on my shoes. I just grabbed my phone and stepped out,” she said.She said passengers were struggling to escape as the bus filled with smoke and people began pushing each other in panic.“It was so smoky that nothing was visible; people were suffocating inside. Very few managed to escape, only those who could push their way out amidst the shoving,” she said.Recalling the chaos, the passenger said he was eventually pulled out by someone. “It was so crowded that people were shoving each other. I was pushed around, and someone eventually pulled me out. I don’t remember anything else after that. It was completely filled with smoke, the scene was chaotic, and getting out was extremely difficult,” she said.The passenger said several people may have been unable to escape. “Many people lost their lives. There were quite a few people behind me who probably couldn’t make it out, as I myself got out quite late,” she said.Another passenger said he had been asleep when he was woken up and told that the bus had caught fire.“It was not an easy situation to escape from; there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out in a state of panic. The bus was packed with passengers,” he said.Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident and expressed condolences to the families of those killed. He directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured and provide all possible assistance to the families of the deceased. The chief minister also wished the injured a speedy recovery.Further details on the exact number of casualties, injured passengers and the cause of the fire are awaited.