Kannauj: Sleeper bus goes up in flames, 20 passengers burnt alive
There were 45 passengers, including three staff, in the bus that was on its way to Jaipur from Farrukhabad when the accident occurred
Kannauj: At least 20 people died and several others received serious burn injuries when a private sleeper double-decker bus burst into flames after colliding with a truck in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district, an official said on Saturday.
There were 45 passengers, including three staff, in the bus that was on its way to Jaipur from Farrukhabad when the accident occurred on the GT road near Chhibramau, 168 km west of Lucknow, on Friday night, the police had said.
Charred bodies of 10 people have been recovered by the forensic teams that were working to retrieve others from the completely-damaged bus, District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said.
Twenty-one people are undergoing treatment in hospitals, Kumar said.
Unconfirmed reports said some people with minor injuries went for treatment at private hospitals and have gone back home, the official said, adding that efforts were on to contact them.
Superintendent of Police Amrendra Pratap Singh had said around 20 people were feared to have lost their lives in the incident.
State police chief O P Singh had said a diesel tank apparently exploded under the impact of the collision and the bus burst into flames.
Eyewitnesses said the bus caught fire after a head-on collision with truck.
The bus was full of passengers, around 60 people at the time of mishap, said a passenger undergoing treatment at the Saushaiyya hospital in Chhibramau.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sent minister Ram Naresh Agnihotri to the spot and sought a report from the district magistrate about the incident.
Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have expressed condolences to the families of those who died in the bus tragedy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief over the death of several people in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj.
“Many people have lost their lives in this accident. I express my condolences to the kin of the dead, and wish the injured recover soon,” the prime minister tweeted.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday expressed condolences to the families of those killed in a fire that broke out after a bus collided with a truck in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district.
“I am saddened by the news of the death of 20 people and injuries to several people in a road accident in Kannauj in which a massive fire broke out after a bus and truck collision,” Gandhi tweeted.
“I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wish speedy recovery for those injured,” the former Congress president said.
At least 20 people were feared charred to death in a massive fire that broke out after a private sleeper bus collided with a truck in Chhibramau police station area on Friday, police had said.