Nine Killed in Greater Noida Sleeper Bus Fire
A sleeper tourist bus carrying 35 passengers caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway near Jewar while travelling towards Mahoba, killing nine people and injuring several others; police say a preliminary probe points to a blast in the vehicle’s air-conditioning system.
At least nine people were killed and several others injured after a sleeper tourist bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida late Wednesday night, September 23.
The Bihar-registered bus was travelling towards Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region and had 35 passengers on board when the fire broke out. Most passengers were asleep at the time, according to police and survivor accounts reported by NDTV.
BUS FIRE SNAPSHOT
9 people — Killed in the fire
35 passengers — Reported to have been travelling on the bus
Yamuna Expressway — Site of the incident near Jewar, Greater Noida
Driver and conductor arrested — Police have registered a case
Police said their preliminary investigation indicated that the fire began after a blast in the bus's air-conditioning system, which ignited lubricating oil from the engine and caused the flames to spread rapidly through the vehicle. The precise circumstances remain subject to investigation.
The blaze caused panic inside the bus as thick smoke filled the vehicle. Several passengers managed to escape by jumping through the windows, while survivors described severe crowding and difficulty finding a way out.
One survivor told NDTV that passengers had been sleeping when someone raised an alarm about the fire. Another said visibility inside the bus had deteriorated because of the dense smoke and passengers struggled to escape amid the rush.
Fire brigade personnel and teams from Jewar police station reached the site and carried out rescue and relief operations. Images from the scene showed the double-decker sleeper bus extensively damaged by the blaze.
RELIEF ANNOUNCED
₹2 lakh — PMNRF assistance announced for the next of kin of each person killed
₹50,000 — Assistance for each injured personUttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also announced ₹2 lakh for families of those killed and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced assistance from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure treatment for those injured and provide assistance to affected families.
Police have registered a case and arrested the bus driver and conductor. A subsequent FIR-based report said passengers had complained of a burning smell before the blaze and alleged that warnings were not acted upon promptly. These allegations form part of the police case and remain subject to investigation.
Separate vehicle-record information reported by NDTV showed that the bus had accumulated more than 60 traffic challans, with over 20 reportedly unpaid and outstanding fines exceeding ₹1.7 lakh. The existence of those challans does not by itself establish that they caused or contributed to the fire.
Investigators are now examining the sequence of events before the blaze, the condition of the vehicle and the circumstances surrounding the reported air-conditioning system failure.