Daijiworld Media Network – Balrampur

Balrampur, Dec 2: A tragic late-night accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district claimed three lives and left 24 others with severe burn injuries after a Delhi-bound private bus caught fire following a violent collision with a truck loaded with winter garments. The incident occurred around 2:30 am on the Phulwaria bypass under Kotwali Dehat police station limits.

According to senior police officials, six of the injured passengers are in critical condition and have been shifted to Bahraich Medical College for advanced treatment.

The bus, which had departed from Sonauli near the Nepal border, was carrying 45 passengers — most of them Nepal nationals — on its way to Delhi. Survivors said the crash took place when a speeding truck coming from the Phulwaria overbridge rammed into the middle of the bus at the Phulwaria crossing.

Eyewitnesses told police that the impact forced the bus to skid nearly 100 metres before crashing into an electric pole. The pole collapsed, bringing down high-tension wires and triggering a massive short circuit. “Within moments, the bus was engulfed in flames, trapping passengers inside. Several people managed to escape by smashing the windowpanes and jumping out,” one eyewitness recounted.

The truck also overturned due to the collision and soon caught fire. After fire brigade teams managed to douse the flames, three charred bodies were recovered from the bus — two burnt beyond recognition. Police said another severely burnt body was found beneath the overturned truck, believed to be that of a truck occupant.

The identities of the bus driver and conductor remain unknown, as both have been missing since the incident. Police have launched a full-scale investigation into the cause of the crash and the circumstances leading to the deadly blaze.