Twelve persons, including a two-year-old child, were killed and 43 injured after a Mumbai-bound private sleeper bus they were travelling in hit a trailer truck and caught fire in Nashik, Maharashtra, in the early hours of Saturday.
Nashik City Police Commissioner Jayant Naiknavare said the accident took place around 5.15 a.m. near Nandur Naka. He said the bus, which was headed to Mumbai from Yavatmal district, was carrying passengers much beyond its capacity. “It had a capacity of 30 passengers, but 53 were travelling in it. The driver of the coal-laden truck and the ill-fated bus failed to negotiate the square at the intersection and didn’t apply brakes; as a result, the bus driver directly hit the truck’s fuel tank on the side, and caught fire immediately,” he said.
“The traffic signal was blinking and there was not much vehicular movement. The bus was coming on the Nashik-Aurangabad highway, while the truck was going to Sinnar from Gujarat,” Mr. Naiknavare said, adding that the bus was completely gutted in the accident and the driver and helper of the truck escaped from the spot.
The injured were taken to the District Civil Hospital and some private medical facilities in the city. The condition of some of the injured is still critical.
Before catching fire, the bus also hit a mini cargo van, due to which the latter got overturned.
Eyewitnesses said that as soon as the bus caught fire, some passengers escaped from the windows while others were charred to death. They alerted the police and the fire department, who launched a rescue operation and doused the fire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pain at the loss of lives in the tragic road accident and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each victim. The injured would be given ₹50,000.
“Anguished by the bus tragedy in Nashik. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones in this mishap. May the injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde too announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the next of kin of victims. “Instructions have been given to provide medical treatment to the injured in the accident at government expense. The causes of the accident will be assessed through a comprehensive investigation,” Mr. Shinde said. The Chief Minister has ordered a detailed inquiry into the road accident and instructed officials to conduct a detailed survey to identify accident “black spots” in Nashik city and across Maharashtra.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis offered condolences to the families through Twitter.
“I offer my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific accident and pray for the speedy recovery of those who are injured,” Mr. Shah tweeted
Mr. Fadnavis tweeted: "Deeply pained to know about unfortunate accident of a private bus & tanker in #Nashik. Heartfelt condolences to families who lost their loved ones. Praying for speedy recovery of the injured."
“All senior officials including Collector, Municipal Commissioner, Police Commissioner are on spot to coordinate rescue operations. All the injured are admitted to Civil Hospital & provided immediate assistance,” he said.
