On Saturday, July 1, in a tragic incident, a bus burst into flames on the Samruddhi Mahamarg Motorway in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district, killing at least 26 people. The accident occurred around 1:30 AM early morning on Saturday, while the bus was travelling from Yavatmal to Pune.
The passenger bus was heading towards Pune from Nagpur. This bus with registration number MH29 BE181 left Nagpur for Pune at 5 PM on June 30. The accident took place around 1.30 AM. The bus had passengers from Nagpur, Wardha and Yavatmal. It was a bus from Vidarbha Travels.
At 1.22 AM on July 1, the front tyre of the moving bus suddenly detached near Pimpalkhuta village near Sindkhedraraja on the Samruddhi Highway and the bus overturned after hitting the divider. Minutes later, an explosion ensued, setting the private passenger bus on fire and causing the accident.
The accident has been mourned across the country. There is a lot of speculation about how the accident took place and what happened in the early morning hours. Meanwhile, the police briefed reporters on the accident in Buldhana on Saturday, July 1.
The police said, “The accident took place on Samruddhi highway around 1.35 AM. The bus first hit an electric pole on the Samruddhi expressway. After the collision, the diesel tank hit the divider as the bus came forward. This caused the diesel tank to burst. Later, the bus overturned and caught fire.”
The police further informed, “There were 33 people on the bus. There were 26-27 people in the manifest. Some passengers may have been picked up during the journey. Of these, eight passengers who were able to break the windows of the bus and get out have been saved. That includes the 25-year-old driver. The driver has been identified as Sheikh Danish Sheikh Ismail.”
The police added, “Two drivers and a cleaner were on the bus. One of the drivers has died. The driver who was driving the bus is safe. So far, the police have sent 25 bodies to Buldhana.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his feelings. PMO India tweeted, “Deeply saddened by the devastating bus mishap in Buldhana, Maharashtra. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the bus mishap in Buldhana. Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured.”
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the bus mishap in Buldhana. Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 1, 2023
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde has also announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh. Stating that he was distressed by the horrific accident, the Chief Minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted, “The accident of a private bus of Vidarbha Travels going to Pune at Pimpalkhuta in Buldhana district killing 25 people is very shocking and heart-wrenching. I pay my heartfelt tribute to them. 8 people were injured in this incident and they have been admitted to hospital in Sindkhedaraja. The condition of the injured is out of danger. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased in this accident. The state government will bear the cost of treatment of the injured.”
विदर्भ ट्रॅव्हल्सच्या पुणे येथे जाणाऱ्या एका खाजगी बसला बुलढाणा जिल्ह्यातील पिंपळखुटा येथे अपघात होऊन 25 जणांचा मृत्यू झाल्याची घटना अतिशय धक्कादायक आणि मनाला वेदना देणारी आहे. मी त्यांना भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली अर्पण करतो. या घटनेत 8 जण जखमी झाले असून त्यांना सिंदखेडराजा येथे…
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) July 1, 2023
Meanwhile, opposition leaders have already started politicising this accident. Jitendra Awhad of NCP tweeted, “Is this highway of prosperity or highway of death? Since the inception of this Samruddhi Highway, there have been many accidents till now. In the last year, many innocent people lost their lives on it. Despite imposing a speed limit on Samruddhi Highway, the accident session does not stop. It has come across that these accidents are happening due to faulty construction of the Samruddhi Highway and human error. The government should plan measures and take appropriate steps in time to prevent such accidents from happening again..!”
हा समृद्धी महामार्ग की मृत्यूचा महामार्ग..?
— Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) July 1, 2023
हा समृद्धी महामार्ग सुरू झाल्यापासून पासून आतापर्यंत अनेक अपघात झालेत. गेली वर्षभरात त्यामध्ये अनेक निष्पाप लोकांना आपला जीव गमवावा लागला.
समृद्धी महामार्गावर वेग मर्यादा आणूनही अपघाताचे सत्र थांबता थांबत नाही. समृद्धी महामार्गाच्या…
Imtiaz Jaleel of AIMIM tweeted, “In a hurry to inaugurate the Samruddhi expressway, CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis drove 5 crore car making it a media event, only to come back a few months later to announce Rs 5 lakh compensation to 25 persons killed in an accident. I call it murder. Were necessary road safety clearances obtained before the inauguration? Why not a single food plaza built for travellers to refresh? There was not a single fuel station when it was inaugurated. No washroom on the entire stretch of the expressway. The question is what was the hurry to inaugurate?”
Were necessary road safety clearances obtained before inauguration? Why not single food plaza was built for travellers to refresh?There was not single fuel station when it was inaugurated? No washroom on the entire stretch of the expressway. Questn is what was the hurry to open!
— Imtiaz Jaleel (@imtiaz_jaleel) July 1, 2023
