50 Passengers Evacuate Burning Bus on Lucknow-Agra Expressway, Disaster Avoided

Unnao (The Uttam Hindu): A major accident was narrowly avoided on Sunday night on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway when a sleeper bus traveling from Rae Bareli to Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan suddenly caught fire near Gaharpurva village in the Bangarmau area. Around 50 passengers onboard managed to save their lives by jumping out of the windows and gate. The fire department brought the blaze under control after half an hour of efforts. While no injuries were reported the fire completely destroyed the bus along with the passengers' belongings.

The incident occurred at approximately 9 PM, reportedly due to a short circuit. The bus driver displayed quick thinking by stopping the vehicle immediately upon noticing smoke allowing passengers to evacuate swiftly. However, some passengers re-entered the bus to retrieve their belongings but had to escape again as the flames rapidly engulfed the bus. The fire brigade responded promptly and another bus was arranged to transport the passengers to their destination safely.

CO Arvind Kumar confirmed there were no casualties in the incident and credited the driver's presence of mind for averting a major tragedy. Preliminary investigations suggest a short circuit as the cause of the fire with further inquiries ongoing. The timely intervention of the fire brigade and the driver’s prompt action ensured all passengers were safely evacuated preventing any loss of life.