People Kept Burning Inside The Bus: Indore Survivor
· Free Press Journal
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): "I was pulled out alive, but I couldn't save my wife. Her leg was trapped, she had lost consciousness, and the smoke made it impossible to breathe."
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These were the haunting words of Chandraprakash Gupta, an Indore resident who survived the devastating bus fire in Rajasthan's Dausa district but lost his wife in the tragedy that claimed eight lives, including two from Indore.
Gupta and his wife had boarded a Hans Travels sleeper coach from Rishikesh to Indore on Tuesday evening. Around 2.30 am on Wednesday, the bus rammed into a truck on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Tanawad Zero Point and burst into flames.
"Someone pulled me out of the burning bus. I immediately tried to rescue my wife, but her leg was trapped. She had lost consciousness. Thick smoke made it impossible to go back inside," Gupta said.
Despite suffering injuries, Gupta helped rescue another passenger before alerting the police and highway patrol.
"No ambulance or fire tender reached the spot for nearly an hour. People kept burning inside the bus. Many were burned alive before help arrived," he alleged.
Hospital authorities said eight people died before reaching hospital. Six succumbed to burn injuries, while two died of head injuries sustained in the crash.
The deceased from Madhya Pradesh were identified as Nirmala, 61, and Bhumi Bhor, 20, both from Indore; Priyanka Pandey, 35, and Deepak, 29, from Khargone; Devendra, 60, from Sehore; and Dharam Singh, 31, from Jhabua. Bus driver Ramotar, 28, and conductor Kuldeep, 31, also died.
Thirteen passengers remain hospitalised, including nine from Indore: Yachika Tanwar, seven, Neha, 26, Disha, 19, Suvanand, 25, Pradeep, 26, Mehak, 22, Yogani, 21, Jitendra Pandey, 45, and Abhinav Pandey, 13.
Dausa District Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr RK Meena said all the injured were stable and under constant observation.
Meanwhile, two passengers from Madhya Pradesh, Priyanka, 33, of Badwah and Deepu, 60, of Sehore district, remained missing till the filing of this report.
Authorities have begun collecting DNA samples from relatives to identify bodies charred beyond recognition before handing them over to their families.
The tragedy has also raised questions over the emergency response. Eyewitnesses alleged ambulances and fire tenders arrived nearly an hour after the blaze erupted.
Some villagers also claimed cigarette cartons in the bus luggage compartment may have intensified the fire, though police have not confirmed the allegation and are investigating.
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