At least nine people were killed and several others injured after a sleeper bus travelling from Delhi towards Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, caught fire near the 33-km marker of the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida late Wednesday night or early Thursday
September 24, 2026: Most of the approximately 30–35 passengers were asleep when the bus suddenly went up in flames, turning the vehicle into a death trap within minutes. Survivors described scenes of thick smoke, panic and frantic attempts to escape as passengers struggled to get out of the burning bus.
Preliminary investigation points to possible AC short circuit; passengers allegedly warned crew of burning smell.
Police investigating the Yamuna Expressway sleeper-bus fire that killed nine people in Greater Noida have indicated that a short circuit in the bus’s air-conditioning system may have triggered the blaze, although the exact cause has not yet been officially determined.
A passenger’s complaint to police alleges that passengers “noticed a burning smell coming from the driver’s cabin and repeatedly alerted the driver and conductor, asking them to stop and check. The complaint further alleges that the crew failed to act immediately and continued smoking in the cabin before flames suddenly erupted near the driver’s seat.” The allegations are now part of the investigation, while authorities examine the burnt vehicle and statements from survivors.
The driver and conductor have been arrested and booked on charges of culpable homicide. Authorities are investigating what caused the fire and whether negligence or safety violations contributed to the tragedy. According to the FIR/complaint filed by passenger Sunil Kumar, it alleges that both the driver and conductor were smoking bidis/cigarettes inside the driver’s cabin even after passengers reported a burning smell.
Several injured passengers were rushed for medical treatment. The death toll and condition of those injured may change as authorities continue rescue and identification operations.
The tragedy has once again raised urgent questions over fire safety and emergency exits in sleeper buses, particularly on long-distance routes where passengers are often asleep when emergencies occur. Human beings invented wheels, engines and sleeper berths, and somehow still have to keep reminding transport operators that people need a way out when the vehicle catches fire.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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