New Delhi, September 24: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday expressed profound sorrow over the tragic loss of nine lives in a bus fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh, describing the incident as "extremely heartbreaking."
Nine people, including one woman and eight men, died after a passenger bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway late Wednesday night, Jewar Police said.
Taking to social media platform X, the President extended her deepest condolences to the grieving families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those who sustained injuries.
"The news of the deaths of people in a fire that broke out in a bus on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the swift recovery of those injured in this accident," President Murmu posted.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of those who died in the accident and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.
Police and rescue teams safely rescued 20 to 25 people from the bus following the accident.
Meanwhile, Pradeep Kumar, Chief Fire Officer, said, “A bus with registration number BR32PA8647, under the Jewar police station area on the Yamuna Expressway, was going from Kashmiri Gate, New Delhi to Mahoba, when suddenly fire broke out in the bus at the 33-kilometre milestone.”
He said that immediately after receiving the information, senior police officers along with the local police force, rescue tenders, and four fire service units reached the spot.
“Immediately after receiving the information, senior police officers along with the local police force, rescue tenders, and four fire service units reached the spot and completely extinguished the fire and conducted a rescue operation. A total of 20 to 25 people were rescued from it. Upon entering the bus, it was found that nine persons inside the bus died a tragic death due to burning and suffocation,” he said.
He added that Jewar police station is making efforts to identify the deceased.
Kumar said, “The driver and conductor have been taken into custody by registering a case under relevant sections regarding the referenced incident. Other legal actions are being ensured.”
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire originated from a spark or blast in the bus's air conditioning system, which ignited the engine's lubricating oil and caused the fire to spread rapidly. (ANI)
