Overview
- A Bihar‑registered sleeper bus carrying about 30–40 people caught fire late on Wednesday night near the 33‑km marker on the Yamuna Expressway, leaving nine passengers dead and several injured.
- Fire and rescue teams used multiple tenders to evacuate more than 20 passengers but found nine bodies inside the smoke‑filled coach; the deceased were taken to Kailash Hospital for postmortem and identification.
- An FIR lodged by a passenger alleges the driver and conductor ignored a burning smell and refused repeated requests to stop, and both have been arrested under provisions relating to culpable homicide.
- Police say a preliminary technical inquiry suggests a short circuit in the bus air‑conditioning may have sparked a fire that ignited engine lubricant, but forensic tests are pending to confirm the cause.
- Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and the Uttar Pradesh government announced Rs 2 lakh for each next of kin and Rs 50,000 for the injured as investigations into negligence and criminal liability continue.