Two charred to death after bus catches fire on Delhi-Jaipur highway

The ACP told The Indian Express that they were waiting to take down statements of the injured for further information regarding the journey: “The deceased haven’t been identified as their bodies were completely charred. The bus started from Gurgaon Sector 12 and was headed to Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh.”

District fire officer Ramesh Saini said three tenders were pressed into service from the fire department to douse the blaze. “Operations lasted for 1.5 hours after which the fire was controlled. Traffic was also disrupted for a long time. We are yet to ascertain how it started,” he said.

Fireman Praveen Dhull, who led a team during rescue operations, said they were informed at 8.25 pm and reached the spot in 5-7 minutes. “There were three fire tenders and a private tender. The bus caught fire while running and by the time we reached, no passenger was found to get information regarding the cause of the fire. Bystanders explained that the bus caught fire on the flyover. At least 20 fire officers along with the district DC, Police Commissioner, ACPs and DCPs were present.”

In a statement, Gurgaon Police said there were 40 passengers in the bus, comprising mostly labourers. “The passengers had brought their clothes, household items, utensils, and a gas cylinder with them… The FSL/Crime Scene of Crime team has been called to the scene,” it said.