Rishikesh–Indore bus collides with trailer in Rajasthan:8 dead as vehicles catch fire, 6 passengers burnt alive

A severe road accident occurred late Tuesday night on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan’s Dausa district. A sleeper bus travelling from Rishikesh to Indore collided with a trailer moving ahead. The impact was so strong that both vehicles caught fire. The fire engulfed the entire bus within minutes. Eight passengers were killed in the incident, while 21 others were injured. The injured are being treated at Dausa district hospital. The accident took place around 2:30 am in the Kolwa police station area at the Tanavd Zero Point. According to police, the bus was speeding and rammed into the trailer from behind. After the collision, both vehicles caught fire. The fire spread so quickly that several passengers became trapped inside the bus. Passengers alleged that rescue teams did not reach the spot for nearly an hour after the accident. Passengers’ allegation – Help did not arrive for an hour After the accident, passengers and local residents alleged delays in rescue operations. Passenger Chandraprakash Gupta from Indore said he was travelling with his wife. He managed to get out after the fire broke out, but his wife’s leg was stuck in the seat. He said smoke was rapidly filling the bus. He tried to rescue his wife, but she became unconscious. He also helped pull out another injured passenger on the way. He called police and highway patrol, but no help arrived for nearly an hour. By then, several passengers remained trapped inside. 8 people lost their lives due to fire and injuries According to police, a total of eight people died in the accident. Six passengers died due to burn injuries, while two others succumbed to severe head injuries. The process of identifying the deceased is underway. Twenty-one people were injured in the incident. All of them were taken to Dausa district hospital, where several are in critical condition. Police said nine injured have been identified so far. The trailer driver and his helper were also injured. Suspicion that the bus driver dozed off Preliminary investigation suggests the bus driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. However, the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation. Police are also collecting CCTV footage and other technical evidence. A local resident claimed that cigarette boxes were stored in the bus. Local resident Mahendra Nagar, who reached the spot first, claimed that several cartons filled with cigarette packets were stored in the bus luggage compartment. He said this may have caused the fire to spread rapidly. He also alleged that by the time fire tenders and ambulances arrived, the fire had already spread throughout the bus. However, police have not confirmed this claim and are investigating it. Both vehicles completely burnt to scrap The fire was so intense that both the bus and trailer were completely burnt. Officials said inspection inside the bus could begin only about three hours after the fire was extinguished. FSL and police teams are collecting evidence from the site. Investigation of the accident underway Dausa SP Piyush Dixit said the bus was travelling from Rishikesh to Indore. The cause of the accident is being investigated. Claims regarding cigarette boxes will also be examined. The immediate priority is treatment of the injured and identification of the deceased. Police are continuing the investigation from all angles.