Three Dead, Several Injured as UP Bus Bursts Into Flames After Collision with Truck

Lucknow: In a devastating turn of events, three people were charred and 24 others were injured in a tragic road accident that occurred at about 2:30 AM, near Phulwaria Crossing. The incident took place when a private passenger bus (UP 22 AT 0245), carrying many Nepal-bound passengers en route from Sonauli to Delhi. The passenger car collided with a speeding truck (UP 21 DT 5237). The collision resulted in a fire on the Phulwaria bypass in Balrampur district.

According to eyewitnesses, the truck smashed into the middle of the bus. The impact of the collision dragged the bus for hundreds of meters before it smashed into an electric pole. The pole fell on the bus as live high-tension wires fell on the vehicle, which triggered a big fire - reportedly emanating from the bus's fuel tank.

Furthermore, the panic-stricken passengers struggled to break open the windowpanes to flee. Many passengers managed to escape, but several others remained trapped inside as the fire quickly spread. Fire brigade teams and the police rescued the survivors, but three of them were burnt beyond recognition. A fourth badly charred body was recovered from under the overturned truck.

Of the 24 injured, six in critical condition were taken to Bahraich Medical College, while one was transferred to a trauma centre in Lucknow for better treatment. Others with minor injuries have been admitted to local hospitals. The administration has ordered an enquiry into the incident as the bus driver and cleaner are still missing and believed to have fled.

This tragic accident echoes the growing crisis of transport safety and road-accident-related fires in several states. Victims were mainly foreign and domestic passengers undertaking long-distance journeys fact that underlines concerns about sleeper-bus maintenance, driver behaviour, and regulatory oversight. The police and fire departments have called for the strict enforcement of safety norms and immediate action against negligent operators.

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