Five people, including two children, were killed when a private bus caught fire in the Mohanlalganj area of Lucknow early Thursday, police said. The incident occurred around 5 am on Kisan Path, a major roadway on the outskirts of the Uttar Pradesh capital, while the bus was en route to Delhi from Begusarai in Bihar, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mohanlalganj) Rajneesh Verma.
"Initial investigation suggests that the fire may have started due to a short circuit in the bus' gearbox," Verma informed.
The bus, carrying 80 passengers, caught fire while most passengers were asleep. The flames spread rapidly, trapping five passengers – two women, two children, and a man – who were unable to escape in time and died. Several others sustained injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, police said.
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Eyewitnesses reported that the flames were visible from nearly a kilometre away, adding that the bus did not immediately halt after the fire broke out.
Firefighters reached the scene swiftly, managing to control the blaze within half an hour.
Police also noted that the emergency exit door of the bus failed to open, preventing those seated in the rear from escaping the inferno.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.
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