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Rescue workers near a passenger bus which had an accident and caught fire, killing 25 passengers on Samruddhi Highway, in Buldhana district. (PTI)
Officials revealed that the bus caught fire within minutes of the accident and the passengers would have had a better chance of survival if there were more accessible exit points.
Authorities investigating the accident in which 25 passengers were charred to death while only eight managed to survive after the bus they were traveling in caught fire after crashing into a pole and separator on Samruddhi highway in Buldhana district of Maharashtra state on Saturday, said authorities. More passengers couldn’t. to escape as the exit doors were not accessible, and the car caught fire within minutes.
At least 33 people were on board the bus of Vidarbha Travels, which left Nagpur for Pune at 4pm on Friday. The bus stopped in Karanga in Yavatmal district to have dinner but met the accident shortly afterwards.
Eight people, including the driver and the cleaner, managed to survive the accident, while the injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The authorities decided to conduct a DNA test on the charred bodies of the victims in order to identify them before handing them over to their relatives.
The Danish driver, Sheikh Ismail Sheikh, was arrested following the accident.
Officials revealed that the car caught fire within minutes and the passengers could have had a better chance of survival if there were more exit points accessible. “After the bus hit the pole and the divider, the bus flipped over and fell on its right side with the entry/exit door facing the sky. Within minutes, the vehicle caught fire. Some passengers managed to get out through the broken windows from behind,” a senior police official from Boldana told PTI. “.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ordered an investigation into the incident and announced a gratuity of five lakh rupees to the families of each deceased person.
‘human error’
The Amravati Regional Transport Office (RTO) which conducted an investigation into the accident said that the ‘tyre burst’ claim made by the driver could not have been the cause of the accident as there were no pieces of rubber or tire marks at the scene.
According to information shared by one of the survivors, the bus hit a steel pole on the right side of the road, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Then the bus crashed into the separator, according to the report. Police raised suspicions that “human error” may have caused the accident.
The sheikh was arrested and detained in the morning after it became clear that the accident was the result of “reckless and negligent driving”. The driver is charged under IPC Section 304, along with Sections 134, 184 and 279 of the Motor Vehicle Act.
CM Shinde called the accident “unfortunate” and stressed the need for motorists on the motorway to be careful while driving. Speaking to reporters at the accident site, he said measures will be taken to prevent accidents on the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi expressway.
So far, most of the accidents on Samruddhi Highway have occurred due to human errors. But the government took this incident very seriously and steps will be taken to ensure that no accidents and mistakes happen.”
He added that experts will be consulted before taking measures to prevent accidents. “It is unfortunate that 25 people died in today’s accident. They could not be saved because the bus door was locked. Eight people could get out.”
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