Locked Emergency Exits and Overloaded Aisles: Inside the Investigation of the Greater Noida Bus Fire

Nine people were killed after an AC sleeper bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida late on Wednesday. Police are investigating whether a non-functional emergency exit, luggage blocking the aisle and space under the seats, and difficulties faced by passengers while trying to escape may have contributed to the deaths.

As part of their probe into the fire that quickly engulfed the bus travelling from Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh, police are examining these possible safety lapses.

There were three doors on the bus: two at the front and an emergency exit near the last seat. However, passengers were unable to open the emergency exit as it was not functional, according to police.

“The door did not open as it was not functional. The bus was also overloaded with luggage. Bags and sacks were kept on the roof, under passenger seats, stacked in the aisle and in the vehicle’s storage space,” a senior police officer said.

Police Probe Possible Obstruction During Escape

As passengers attempted to escape, police are investigating whether the luggage further obstructed their movement and access to the emergency exit.

According to police, the fire started in the driver’s cabin and spread rapidly towards the rear of the bus. The luggage also caught fire, with the flames quickly engulfing the vehicle.

“Many passengers were carrying electrical items, including black wires and switchboards, which may have aggravated the fire,” the officer said.

Police also reported that several elderly passengers were sleeping in the upper berths and tried to come down when smoke engulfed the bus. 

However, passengers in the lower berths also began moving, making it difficult for those in the upper berths to come down. According to the officer, some bodies were found on top of one another.

Police are also investigating whether the two drivers and the conductor, who have been arrested, ignored passengers’ complaints about a burning smell.

"Die if you want to, but we won’t stop the bus": Bus Driver

According to police, some passengers alerted the driver and conductor about the smell two to three kilometres before the bus caught fire. “They went inside the cabin, but did not stop. We are trying to verify these claims,” the officer said.

According to the FIR filed in the case, the drivers and conductor allegedly told passengers, “Die if you want to, but we won’t stop the bus,” and refused to halt the vehicle despite being informed about the burning smell.

By Friday evening, more than 36 hours after the fire, all nine bodies had been identified following multiple rounds of identification by relatives. Police are also conducting DNA sampling to confirm the identities, as the bodies were charred beyond recognition.

Bodies Identified

According to police, Devendra Sahay Bharadwaj was from Hisar in Haryana, Shruti Rawat was from Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh, while seven of the deceased were from Uttar Pradesh.

Police are investigating the role of the bus owner, whose travel company operates around 30 to 35 buses.

According to police, the bus had an All India permit issued in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, along with other required documents. It had around 20 pending challans for traffic violations, including speeding and jumping signals. An officer said some of the challans were between Rs 18,000 and Rs 26,000.