A tragic fire on a sleeper tourist bus traveling along the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida has left nine people dead, including one woman. The incident occurred late Wednesday night as the vehicle was en route from Noida to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh. According to police, there were 35 passengers on board when the blaze broke out.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was triggered by an explosion in the bus's air conditioning system, which ignited engine lubricating oil and caused the flames to spread rapidly throughout the vehicle. Most passengers were asleep when the fire started, leading to a desperate scramble for safety as many attempted to escape by jumping through windows.
Local police from the Jewar station and fire brigade teams arrived at the scene to conduct rescue operations. Authorities have since registered a case and confirmed the arrest of the bus driver and conductor. One survivor described the harrowing experience, noting that the cabin was quickly filled with thick smoke.
"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," the passenger recalled. She added that the conditions inside were suffocating, stating, "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.
" In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased victim, with Rs 50,000 allocated for each injured person. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed his condolences and directed officials to provide comprehensive medical care to the survivors.
He announced matching compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
