9 killed, over 10 hurt as bus catches fire in Amethi

Mangalore Today News Network

Amethi, April 21, 2015: Nine people were killed and over 10 others were injured when a roadways bus caught fire in the Peeparpur area near Amethi on Tuesday, the police said.

 

The incident occurred this morning when the UP State Roadways Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus going from Faizabad to Allahabad caught fire near the Ramgaon village, 150 km from the state capital Lucknow, Superintendent of Police Heera Lal told PTI.

He said that 42 passengers were on board and the lucky ones escaped by smashing the window panes of the ill-fated bus which suddenly went up in flames and continued to move for some 100 metres before it came to a halt.

The SP said that efforts were being made to identify the victims as their bodies were charred beyond recognition in the inferno.

He said that the injured were rushed to a hospital in Sultanpur and Pratapgarh. Lal said that the fire was suspected to have been caused by a short circuit in the engine.

UPSRTC Managing Director Mukesh Meshram, however, said in Lucknow that whether the incident occurred due to short circuit or was triggered by a leakage in an LPG cylinder could be ascertained only after a thorough inquiry.

The bus was carrying an LPG cylinder, which was taken out safely, he said. The Uttar Pradesh government announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the kin of those killed, Rs one lakh to those grievously injured and Rs 50,000 to those suffering from minor injuries.

Local MP and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi expressed profound grief over the incident and directed party workers to provide all possible help to the injured, his representative Chandrakant Dubey said.

He said that Gandhi, who was preoccupied with the Parliament session at present, might come here to meet the injured.

The UPSRTC Managing Director said that the District Magistrate Amethi Jagatram Tiwari has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and that the manager responsible for maintenance of buses at UPSRTC depot in Faizabad Santosh Kumar had been suspended.

 

Courtesy: Hindustan times