A devastating fire engulfed a double-decker AC sleeper bus near the 33 km milestone on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida late on Wednesday night, killing nine passengers and leaving several others with serious burn injuries. The bus was travelling from Delhi's Kashmiri Gate to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh when the blaze broke out at approximately 11:15 pm IST. Among the survivors now receiving treatment is a woman admitted to Aarogyadhara Hospital in Jewar, who was travelling with her husband — and does not know where he is.

A Survivor's Ordeal

The injured woman, speaking from her hospital bed, recounted the horror of the moments the bus caught fire. 'I don't know what happened; suddenly the bus caught fire, and people started panicking and shouting fire, fire,' she said. She had boarded the bus at Hisar's Chandannagar along with her husband, Devendra, to travel to Mahoba after the death of her mother-in-law. When asked about her husband's whereabouts, she broke down. 'His name is Devendra,' she said, weeping. His condition and location remain unconfirmed.

What Caused the Fire

Additional District Magistrate Ajeet Kumar Singh of Gautam Buddha Nagar confirmed that preliminary investigations point to a short circuit as the cause. 'The fire was caused due to a short circuit,' he said. Further probe suggests a spark or blast in the bus's air conditioning system ignited the engine's lubricating oil, causing the fire to spread rapidly through the vehicle. More than 30 passengers were reportedly on board at the time. Nine of them, including a woman, were trapped inside and could not escape the blaze.

Emergency Response and Rescue

Upon receiving information about the fire, senior police officials and local forces, along with a fire tender stationed at the Jewar Toll Plaza, rushed to the scene. Four additional fire tenders and a fire service unit were deployed, and the blaze was completely extinguished. Passengers with minor injuries were subsequently sent back to Mahoba — some in personal vehicles, others via special transport arranged by authorities. The bus's driver and conductor were taken into custody, and a case has been registered under relevant sections of law.

Government Response and Compensation

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the loss of lives. Both the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government announced compensation of ₹2 lakh each for the next of kin of all the deceased, and ₹50,000 for those injured in the tragedy. The announcements came as families of the victims began the grim process of identifying the dead and searching for missing relatives.

Broader Context

This incident adds to a troubling pattern of bus fires on Indian highways, often attributed to ageing electrical systems, poorly maintained AC units, and inadequate passenger safety protocols. The Yamuna Expressway — one of India's busiest intercity corridors — has seen multiple fatal accidents in recent years, raising persistent questions about vehicle fitness certificates and night-travel safety norms. Authorities are expected to undertake a more detailed forensic investigation into the bus's maintenance records and the timeline of the AC system failure.