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One person was killed and at least 30 people were injured after a luxury bus bound for Odisha’s Paradip caught fire near Kharagpur in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district Friday night.
According to the police, the incident took place when the bus, which started from Babughat in Kolkata around 5 pm, reached the Madhabpur area on NH-6 at around 10 pm. After the air conditioned bus caught fire, the passengers tried to come out of the vehicle by smashing windows, the police added.
“The injured have been admitted to a local hospital. The driver and helper of the bus jumped out of the vehicle and fled. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained,” a senior police officer of the district said. Three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames.
Ramesh Sarkar, who was on the bus and escaped with minor injuries, told local reporters, “I was returning to Odisha after buying some materials from Kolkata for my business. At around 10 pm, the engine caught fire. The door of the bus got jammed. Some of us tried to break the windows. Later, the door was broken open and we came out. A lot of people were injured.”
Senior Trinamool Congress leader and minister Manas Bhunia visited the hospital where the injured are being treated and assured them of support to facilitate their return to Odisha.
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