Overview
- Inspectors confirmed extensive illegal changes, including 43 sleeper berths instead of the certified 16 with 32 seats, blocked emergency exits and a length of about 12.9 metres versus the 12-metre standard.
- The Haryana-registered double-decker carrying roughly 85 passengers overturned around 3 pm on the Purvanchal Expressway, killing five and injuring about 40.
- RTO (Enforcement) records show 67 challans against the bus, with 18 pending and roughly ₹6 lakh outstanding, yet it continued interstate operations.
- Authorities say current rules do not automatically halt services for unpaid penalties, and a new provision to enable operational restrictions and seizure is under process.
- Investigators are examining whether added upper weight and a shifted centre of gravity contributed to the rollover, as fresh spot checks report similar safety breaches in sleeper buses across Uttar Pradesh.