One person was killed and around 30 were injured when a bus bound for Odisha's Paradip caught fire in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district on Friday night. The incident occurred around 10 PM as the luxury bus approached the Madhabpur area. The bus departed from Babughat in Kolkata around 5 PM, as reported by PTI. According to a police officer, the air conditioning on the bus was functioning at a low level.
Approximately 30 people on the bus attempted to evacuate by breaking the windows when the fire broke out, reported news agency PTI. Some of the people fell into a ditch during the escape bid. The severely injured were rushed to the hospital. One of them succumbed to the injuries sustained in the incident, reported news agency PTI. Both the driver and his helper jumped out as the bus caught fire.
Fire tenders arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained.
West Bengal minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia, speaking on the incident earlier in the night, stated, “A tourist bus travelling from Kolkata to Paradip (in Odisha) caught fire in Paschim Medinipur. As of now, we can confirm one casualty, with 10 to 15 people reported injured.”
In a statement to ANI, he said, "This is an unfortunate and unprecedented incident. A bus from Calcutta to Odisha caught fire, resulting in one fatality due to burn injuries, while others sustained injuries. Our SP arrived at the scene with his force. Fire brigades rushed to the spot, and the fire was brought under control," the West Bengal Minister said.
He confirmed one death and mentioned that some people sustained minor injuries, adding that they will be sent to their respective destinations tomorrow.