Lucknow:

According to officials, the bus suddenly caught fire while moving, and most of the passengers were asleep at the time. Thick smoke quickly filled the vehicle, waking up the passengers and causing panic. Eyewitnesses said the fire spread rapidly, and flames could be seen from almost a kilometre away.

A tragic accident took place in Lucknow on Thursday morning when a double-decker bus caught fire on Kisan Path near Mohanlalganj. Five people lost their lives in the incident, reportedly burnt alive. The bus was travelling from Delhi to Bihar and was carrying more than 60 passengers.

Fire due to spark near gear

More than six fire engines arrived at the site, and it took several hours of effort to bring the fire under control. By then, the bus was completely gutted. The police recovered the bodies and sent them for postmortem. Rescue teams confirmed that the bus belonged to Baghpat.

One passenger said he woke up to the sound of shouting and saw smoke all around. He immediately woke his wife, and they both managed to escape. Another survivor mentioned that the fire may have started near the gear area due to a spark. He added that the driver ran away without alerting anyone.

Flames visible up to 1 km

Some passengers managed to escape, but many, especially those seated at the back, were trapped. A major reason for the difficulty in escaping was the presence of an extra seat in the driver’s cabin, which blocked the way. Moreover, the emergency exit reportedly failed to open, worsening the situation.

Locals nearby rushed to the spot and helped passengers get off the burning bus. Meanwhile, the driver and conductor reportedly jumped out and fled the scene, leaving the passengers behind.

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