At least 25 passengers on a bus, including three children, have been burnt to death when the vehicle caught fire in India’s Maharashtra, according to reports.
The bus was on its own way from Nagpur to Pune when it hit a pole and then rammed into a divider at around 1:30 am near the Pimpalkhuta village, according to police.
The bus apparently overturned and caught fire, police said.
“Twenty-five people were burnt to death in the accident. The injured, including the bus driver, have been shifted to a hospital for treatment,” said police.
One of the survivors said he and a few others achieved to come out of the burning vehicle by breaking its rear window.
“A tyre of the bus burst and the vehicle caught fire immediately. The blaze spread in no time,” the survivor said.
“The passenger seated next to me and I managed to escape by breaking the rear window,” he said.
According to the survivor, after the incident, the teams of police and fire brigade reached the spot immediately.
Maharashtra Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde has expressed sorrow over the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 500,000 for the families of each of the dead victims.