Burned, bones scattered: 20 feared dead, 25 rescued after horrific Kannauj bus accident

Manglore Today News Network

Kannauj, Jan 11, 2020:   As many as 20 people were feared killed -- and 25 safely rescued -- after a bus carrying at least 45 passengers burst into flames upon collision with a truck on Friday at Dewar Marg in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj district.

 

The accident took place on Friday night when the bus was on its way to Jaipur from Farrukhabad. According to initial ground reports, passengers were unable to escape the fire as they were sleeping, and doors and windows were shut.

"A bus travelling from Kannauj to Jaipur collided with a truck at Dewar Marg in Kannauj, following which both went up in flames. Locals rushed to the spot and rescued several people from the bus," Kanpur IG Mohit Agarwal told the news agency ANI on Saturday.

Police said 25 passengers were safely rescued from the bus, and were either receiving treatment at local hospitals or had been discharged.

"However, the remaining 20 people are unaccounted for. The bodies are badly burned, their bones are scattered, so only a DNA test by the forensic team will determine the death toll," Mohit Agarwal said.

Prima facie evidence showed that the remains of 8-10 people seemed to be on the bus, but the damage was so extensive that casualties could be determined only through DNA tests, Mohit Agarwal said.

Kannauj MP Subrata Pathak, who visited the spot, said at least 20 people had died in the fire and that several others had been injured.

Earlier, Kannauj District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar said several people had reportedly escaped from the bus, but didn’t go to a hospital and went home instead.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences and announced that the families of the deceased would receive Rs 2 lakh each.
The grievously injured will receive Rs 50,000 each.

CM Yogi Adityanath also asked the District Magistrate for a report on the incident.

Courtesy:India Today