At least 25 people were killed and eight others injured in India after a bus caught fire on a road in the western state of Maharashtra on Saturday, police said. Among the dead are three children, according to a police officer.
The bus was on its way to the city of Pune when it hit a pole and overturned. The strike caused its fuel depot to catch fire, police officer Baburao Mahamuni said.
“There were between 30 and 35 people on the bus. 25 people were killed and eight are injured,” Mahamuni told AFP.
The injured, including the driver, were sent to a hospital near the scene of the accident, which took place some 400 kilometers east of India’s financial capital, Mumbai. The police opened an investigation.
“The priority right now is to identify the bodies and return them to their families,” Superintendent Sunil Kadasane was quoted as saying by local media.
Images of the place released by the media show the bus engulfed in flames and later the charred remains of the vehicle on the highway.
“Deeply saddened by the bus accident,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter. “My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. I hope the injured make a speedy recovery,” he added.
Maharashtra State Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also expressed his condolences and promised compensation of Rs 500,000 ($6,100) to the families of the victims.
Fatal accidents are common on India’s vast network of roads, which are dangerous and poorly maintained. The main causes are excessive speed or not wearing a helmet or seat belt.
A World Bank report in 2021 pointed out that India accumulates 11% of the deaths from traffic accidents in the world, despite having only 1% of the vehicle fleet. The same report estimated that there are 150,000 road deaths in India each year, which is one person every four minutes.
In addition, this study indicated that traffic accidents cost the Indian economy close to $75 billion each year, as medical expenses and loss of income drag many people into poverty.
In May, at least 21 people were killed when a bus derailed off a bridge in India, an accident widely speculated to have occurred because the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
In October last year, at least 31 people were killed when a bus carrying wedding guests veered off the road and onto a cliff.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
