A horrific incident has emerged from Kanpur, where a sleeper bus traveling from Delhi to Varanasi suddenly caught fire on Friday morning. The accident was so severe that the bus was completely gutted, but due to the bravery and promptness of two nearby police officers, 38 passengers successfully exited safely.
Accident News: A sleeper bus traveling from Delhi to Varanasi caught fire in Kanpur on Friday, but a major accident was averted due to the promptness of two police officers. According to police officials, two constables entered the burning bus without any safety equipment and safely evacuated all 38 passengers.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Satyajeet Gupta stated that the incident occurred in the morning when smoke began emanating from luggage kept on the bus roof. Within minutes, the fire spread rapidly, engulfing the entire bus, leading to chaos inside as passengers screamed for help. Gupta mentioned that many managed to jump out of windows in panic, while several women, children, and elderly passengers remained trapped inside.
How the Accident Occurred
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Satyajeet Gupta explained that the incident happened when smoke started coming from the luggage on the bus roof. Within minutes, the fire spread so much that the entire bus roof was engulfed in flames. This caused panic inside, and passengers started screaming for help. Many were able to jump out of windows to safety, but the situation became critical for many women, children, and elderly passengers.
Bravery of the Police Officers
Traffic police constables Sahil Khan and Pushpendra, who were on duty at a nearby crossing, saw the bus on fire and immediately rushed towards it. Amidst dense smoke and intense flames, both entered the bus without any safety equipment and began evacuating passengers. Constable Sahil Khan stated, “The flames were already reaching the roof. We were asking passengers to leave their luggage. If we had arrived even two minutes later, many lives could have been lost.
These police officers rescued children from the smoke-filled cabin. They also carried pregnant women and elderly passengers in their arms to safety. Furthermore, when they received information that another child was trapped in the bus, they re-entered the bus and brought the child out.
Fire Control and Damage
Shortly after, the fire department team brought the fire under control, but by then the bus was completely gutted. Officials reported that passengers' jewelry, cash, and personal belongings were reduced to ashes. The cause of the fire is not yet clear, although several passengers have suspected a short circuit in the luggage stored on the bus roof.
Due to this incident, a traffic jam of approximately 10 kilometers occurred from Ramadevi to Naubasta. Hundreds of vehicles were stuck in this jam, and people had to wait for over an hour.
