Overview
- Late Wednesday night a Raj Kalpana Travels sleeper bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway, leaving nine passengers dead and dozens rescued from heavy smoke and flames.
- Preliminary police and fire inquiries say a spark or blast in the bus AC likely ignited engine lubricant, passengers complained earlier about a burning smell, and the driver and conductor are in custody after an FIR alleging they ignored warnings.
- Transport records show the bus carried 19 unpaid challans totaling about ₹1.75 lakh and multiple safety violations including retrofitting and use by an underage driver, while registration, fitness and pollution papers were issued from different states.
- Separate law‑and‑order probes are active across states after viral videos and attacks prompted fast police action: Kodarma police filed an FIR naming 100–150 villagers for parading and beating minors, Kanpur police arrested Subrat in the Vineet Minocha murder inquiry, and Patna’s Jan Suraaj leader Anil Yadav remains critically injured after a shooting.
- In related international accountability news, Sri Lanka’s Trial‑at‑Bar on September 22 convicted 15 people for the April 21, 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, handing prison terms totaling 220 years and ordering forfeiture of the convicts’ assets.