A devastating bus crash on an expressway in western India has resulted in the loss of at least 25 lives and left eight others injured. The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday when the bus, en route to Pune, collided with a pole, causing it to overturn and ignite as its diesel tank caught fire. Senior police officer Baburao Mahamuni informed AFP about the grim details of the accident.
“There were about 30 to 35 people on the bus. Twenty-five people have died, and eight others are injured,” Mahamuni stated. The injured individuals have been rushed to a nearby hospital in Maharashtra state, located approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of Mumbai, India’s financial capital.
The driver and conductor of the ill-fated bus have been taken into custody for questioning, according to state rural development minister Girish Mahajan. Mahajan revealed, “The driver claims that the bus tire burst, causing it to hit a pole. However, it appears that he may have fallen asleep. We need to investigate what actually happened.” The bodies of the victims have been tragically charred beyond recognition, and forensic teams are en route to assist with the identification process.
One survivor shared his harrowing experience, stating that he managed to escape the burning bus by breaking through a rear window. “The passenger seated next to me and I were able to flee,” he recounted to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. “But not everyone was as fortunate.”
Eyewitnesses to the crash expressed their helplessness in rescuing passengers trapped inside the engulfed bus. “We witnessed people being burned alive,” one witness told PTI. “The intensity of the fire rendered us unable to do anything.”
An official inquiry into the crash has been initiated by the police, with the primary focus being the identification and subsequent handover of the bodies to their respective families, as emphasized by police superintendent Sunil Kadasane.
Images circulated in local media showcased the bus engulfed in flames and later, the charred remains of the overturned vehicle on the highway. Among the deceased were three children, as confirmed by a police officer.
Expressing his deep sorrow over the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter, stating, “Deeply saddened by the devastating bus mishap in Buldhana. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. May the injured recover soon.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his profound grief and announced compensation of 500,000 rupees ($6,100) for the families of those killed.
India’s road network is notorious for its poor maintenance and dangerous conditions, leading to frequent accidents. Despite having only one per cent of the world’s vehicles, the country accounts for 11 per cent of the global road death toll, according to a 2021 World Bank report. The same report estimated that India experiences approximately 150,000 car crash fatalities annually, equivalent to one death every four minutes. The economic impact of road crashes in India is substantial, costing the nation around $75 billion each year, with medical expenses and loss of income pushing many survivors into poverty.
This latest tragedy adds to the string of bus accidents that have plagued the country. In May, 21 individuals lost their lives when a bus plunged off a bridge, allegedly due to the driver falling asleep at the wheel. Similarly, in October of the previous year, a bus carrying wedding guests veered off the road and fell into a deep gorge in northern India, claiming the lives of 31 people.
