A major tragedy struck in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow after a fire in a private bus took the lives of five passengers, including two children, on Thursday morning, May 15. As per the initial information, the double-decker bus was travelling from Bihar to Delhi at the time of the incident on Kisan Path in Mohanlalganj area. The deceased has not been identified yet.
"This morning, the Mohanlalganj PS received information that a private sleeper bus from Begusarai, Bihar, to Delhi has caught fire... Unfortunately, five people from Bihar died in the fire... The passengers who have been rescued are being sent to their homes. Approximately 70 people were on the bus. Out of those who died, two were children and two were women," said Lucknow South DCP Nipun Agarwal.
Lucknow Bus Fire
A video shared on social media shows a huge blaze engulfed the vehicle, while flames along with black smoke billowing into the sky as it destroyed the bus is fully destroyed.
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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the bus accident and expressed deep condolences to the family members of the deceased. The CM instructed officials to immediately reach the site and expedite relief operations. CM Yogi ordered that the injured be given proper medical treatment without delay and wished them a speedy recovery. He also directed the administration to ensure that all necessary assistance is provided to the victims and their families.
The incident took place on Kisan Path near Mohanlalgaj at around 5 am when all passengers were sleeping. They woke up after the smoke filled the bus. The bus driver broke the window and fled the scene, leaving passengers in distress. As per the initial investigation and eyewitness, an extra seat near the bus driver's seat obstructed the exit, causing several passengers to get trapped and fall while trying to exit the bus.
Locals in the area rushed to the spot after receiving information about the fire and alerted the police and fire department. Firefighters controlled the blaze within 30 minutes, but then the entire bus was destroyed.
A passenger said, "We don't know what caused the fire... everyone was sleeping at that time. Driver should have informed us, but he did not inform us... When the fire broke out, the door was locked from outside. We managed to escape somehow. Some of the passengers couldn't escape."