Eight killeed in Maharashtra bus fire

Thane, Jan 29:

At least eight passengers were killed and 11 injured when a private luxury bus rammed into an oil tanker and caught fire on the Mumbai – Ahmedabad highway early Wednesday, police said.

The accident took place when the Ahmedabad-bound bus was near Kuregaon village in Thane district’s Manor town, said Investigating Officer Sudhakar Yenare.

According to preliminary information, the accident occurred when the bus driver was attempting to overtake the oil tanker and rammed into it, around 70 km north from Mumbai.

Fire brigade officials and villagers doused the fire after the accident which resulted in massive traffic jam on the busy inter-state highway and other arterial roads.

The injured victims, two of whom are reported to be serious, were rushed to a hospital.

There were a total of 21 passengers on the bus. The condition of the remaining passengers and the bus driver and the conductor is not known.

The bus left Pune for Ahmedabad around 6.30 p.m. Tuesday. The cause of the fire, which was reported around 1.45 a.m., is not yet clear, he added.

(IANS)