At least 25 people have been confirmed dead after a passenger bus burst into flames following a collision with a motorbike on a major highway in India, local authorities said on Saturday.
The tragic incident occurred late Friday night near Nanded district in Maharashtra State. According to police reports, the bus, which was traveling from Yavatmal to Pune, collided head-on with a motorbike, causing the fuel tank to explode. Within minutes, the vehicle was engulfed in flames, trapping dozens of passengers inside.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and horror as the fire spread rapidly. “We heard screams for help, but the blaze was too intense,” said one local resident who tried to assist before firefighters arrived. “The fire consumed the bus in less than ten minutes.”
Emergency responders rushed to the scene, but many of the victims were already burnt beyond recognition. About a dozen passengers managed to escape through broken windows, sustaining varying degrees of burns and injuries. They were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
District Superintendent of Police, Shrikant Deshmukh, confirmed that at least 25 people lost their lives, while efforts were ongoing to identify the deceased. “We have ordered a full investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire and to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, expressed shock over the incident and announced compensation for the families of the victims. “This is a heartbreaking tragedy. We stand with the affected families in their time of grief,” he said in a statement.
Authorities have since cleared the wreckage, and forensic experts are working to identify the bodies through DNA testing.
