25 charred to death as bus overturns, catches fire on Samruddhi Expressway

The Hitavada Team :

Buldhana :

Police suspect human error behind Buldhana crash Only a few passengers were lucky enough to make their way out of the bus before it caught fire

The remains of the deceased were beyond recognition

AS THE dark clouds hovered over, the bus of Vidarbha Travels carrying 33 passengers from Nagpur and Wardha started its journey to Pune on Friday evening. However, in the small hours, with nothing but darkness outside and sleeping passengers inside, the bus suddenly overturned due to tyre burst, hit a street-divider and caught fire. In no time, fire engulfed the bus turning it into the pyre of 25 passengers trapped inside. Only a few were lucky enough to make their way out of the bus before it caught fire.

On Saturday morning, on that patch of Samruddhi Mahamarg near Pimpalkhuta close to Sindkhed Raja in Buldhana district all that remained of that journey was charred bodies. Lives, their dreams and aspirations all was reduced to ashes. The scene was horrific as it told of the horrors of previous night. Coal-black bodies of children, some grown ups, elderly. A mother struggling till her last breath to save her baby. Though the manifest of the private travels bus operator revealed which seat was occupied by whom, the remains of the deceased were beyond recognition. As the investigators told mediapersons

later, the identities would be

established only after DNA testing. As per the details, a bus of Vidarbha Travels (MH 29/BE-1819) was heading towards Pune from Nagpur on Friday evening. At around 1.26 am, the speeding bus suddenly overturned near Sindkhed Raja. As the bus got dragged on the cement road it caught fire due to friction. Even as fire turned fierce, most passengers struggling to get out could not do so and that was the reason behind this huge loss of life. The passenger did try to break the windows but failed. The doors of the air-conditioned bus also were locked adding to passengers’ plight. Bus driver Sheikh Danish Sheikh Ismail, a resident of Darwah and cleaner Sandeep Rathod, a resident of Yavatmal, escaped to safety and did not suffer any injury. Some passengers also managed to come out of the bus through emergency door. In all eight travellers survived the accident. Passengers with minor injuries have been admitted to rural hospital in Sindkhed Raja. On getting information, Police Department officials reached the spot. Fire brigade vehicle doused the fire. Soon the heart-numbing task of getting bodies of the passengers out of the bus began. District Superintendent of Police Sunil Kadasane also reached the spot at around five in the morning. Five to six ambulances from Sindkhed Raja an Kingaon Raja along with the police personnel from the adjacent police stations reached the spot. T

he charred bodies were brought to Buldhana, where DNA tests would be done. Forensic teams from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nagpur have reached Buldhana. Late in the afternoon, Maharasthra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reached the accident site to take stock of the situation. They also met the survivors in the hospital. Shinde announced an aid of Rs 5 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to the kin of all 25 passengers who died in the accident. Besides, the treatment of those injured would be done free-of-cost. Fadnavis informed that the police administration has been given instructions to conduct a thorough investigation in the accident at Pimpalkhuta. Right from the fitness certificate of the vehicle to other details, will be probed and action will be taken against the guilty.