Nine Killed, Several Injured as Sleeper Bus Catches Fire on Yamuna Expressway; Cause Unknown

Noida: At least nine people were killed and several others injured after a private sleeper bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway near Dayanatpur village in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, late Wednesday night, police said.

The bus, registered under Raj Kalpana Travels and carrying around 35 passengers, was travelling from Delhi towards Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh when the fire broke out near the Jewar Airport area, within the jurisdiction of Jewar police station. Most passengers were asleep at the time.

Panic spread quickly as thick smoke filled the bus, with several passengers jumping through windows to escape. However, the fire spread rapidly, trapping some passengers inside before they could get out. According to reports, the deaths were confirmed, with the toll comprising eight men and one woman.

The bus driver and conductor have been arrested, while Jewar police have registered a case against them under provisions related to culpable homicide. Police said a preliminary investigation suggests that a short circuit in the bus’s air-conditioning system may have triggered the fire. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained.