INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
SINDKHED RAJA (BULDHANA): At least 25 passengers, including 10 women and a 2-year-old girl, were charred to death, some in their sleep, when
a private travels bus crashed into a median barrier, fell over on its left side and burst into flames on the Samruddhi Mahamarg near
Pimpalkhuta in Sindkhed Raja taluka of Buldhana at 1.32am on Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.With most of the bodies burnt beyond recognition, and around 5-6 days required for DNA identification tests,
the state government was trying to convince families of all the deceased to allow a mass cremation of the victims at Buldhana at 8am on
Sunday.The Nagpur-Pune bus of Vidarbha Travels had started at around 5pm on Friday
Passengers had also boarded from Wardha and Yavatmal, after which the bus had entered the Samruddhi eway at Karanja (Lad) at 11.08pm as per
It had 27 passengers and six crew, including two drivers.A report by the Amravati Regional Transport Office (RTO) said the bus was likely
travelling at 70 kmph, as it took 2.24 hours to travel 152km to reach the spot where the accident took place.The bus is learnt to have
rammed a pole on the right hand side, then hit the median divider on the same side
This blocked the main exit for any passengers to get out.Hitting the divider had also damaged the diesel tank, spilling fuel as the bus went
sliding on its side for some distance
The sparks from the sliding bus set the fuel afire, which caused the entire bus to be engulfed in flames within minutes
inferno and are recuperating at different hospitals.Yogesh Gawai, one of the injured who spoke to the media, said he had boarded the bus
I had pulled out one more person
He said the police and fire brigade had reached the place within 10-15 minutes but it was too late to save anyone else.SP Higway Security
Police (HSP), Nagpur, Yeshwant Solanke said his team from an assistance booth, around 10km away, had reached the spot along with the fire
brigade shortly after being alerted by passers-by
combustible materials had aggravated the flames
Solanke.Bus driver Shaikh Danish said in his statement that the accident took place as a right side tyre burst
He, along with cleaner and second driver, Sandeep Rathod, are admitted at a government hospital at Deulgaon Raja
They have been taken into custody by the Sindkhed Raja police
were no burnt pieces of tyres or rupture marks or even skid marks on the road
The RTO has said the fitness certificate of the vehicle was valid till March next year, and it was also fitted with the speed governor.The
bus owner has said in a media interview that the bus was only three years old and standing for one year during Covid
He also called his driver (Danish) an experienced one
Though some documents said the bus pollution control certificate was not updated, the owner claims all vehicle documents were up to
date.Buldhana SP Sunil Kadasne said the driver (Danish) blamed tyre burst but it does not seem to be the case
recognition, and DNA sampling of the deceased would have to be done to ascertain identification beyond doubt
The bodies were shifted to Buldhana district hospital while some of the injured were taken to hospitals at Deulgaon Raja and also
Police sources said offence has been registered against the driver Danish, while the complainant named is cleaner Rathod, who had seen the
will be reaching the spot
It is expected to give a forensic report regarding the accident in the next two days, said MSRDC MD Radheshyam Mopalwar.Chief minister
Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the accident site and the injured in hospitals
Fadnavis has said that the state has announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs5 lakh to the kin of the deceased
Expressing deep grief, Fadnavis also declared the state would bear the expenses of the persons injured in the accident.Fadnavis asked
Buldhana district administration to extend all possible support and assistance to the families of the deceased and injured.Nagpur disaster
cell (8860018817) has opened an assistance window for helping the kin of the deceased and coordinate with Buldhana district administration
