📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Original: Sachinghai09
Derivative work: Radomian
National
Nine dead in Uttar Pradesh bus fire; driver allegedly smoked despite warning
✍️ India Today
🗓 24 Sep 2026, 01:02 PM
👁 10
A bus in Uttar Pradesh caught fire, killing nine passengers. Survivors say the driver was smoking and ignored the smell of burning before the blaze erupted.
A passenger bus traveling within Uttar Pradesh erupted in flames on [date not specified], leaving nine people dead and several others injured. The fire broke out shortly after the vehicle stopped near a roadside area, and emergency services rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze and evacuate survivors.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver was seen smoking a cigarette moments before the fire started. Passengers reported that a distinct burning smell was evident, but the driver allegedly dismissed the warning and continued the journey, which may have allowed the fire to spread rapidly.
Local police have opened an investigation into possible negligence, focusing on the driver’s conduct and the bus’s safety compliance. Authorities have urged transport operators to enforce strict no‑smoking policies and ensure regular maintenance to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver was seen smoking a cigarette moments before the fire started. Passengers reported that a distinct burning smell was evident, but the driver allegedly dismissed the warning and continued the journey, which may have allowed the fire to spread rapidly.
Local police have opened an investigation into possible negligence, focusing on the driver’s conduct and the bus’s safety compliance. Authorities have urged transport operators to enforce strict no‑smoking policies and ensure regular maintenance to prevent similar tragedies in the future.