Buldhana accident: Fadnavis moots DNA test to identify victims; 12 identified so far

Buldhana (Maharashtra): The Buldhana district administration has so far identified 12 of the 26 passengers, who were charred to death, after the private bus they were travelling in caught fire in the early morning on Saturday. The horrendous mishap occurred on the Samruddhi Mahamarg in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra.

The 12 deceased have been identified as Avanti Pohanikar (Wardha), Sanjivani Gote (Hinganghat), Pratamesh Khode (Wardha), Shreya Vanzari (Wardha), Radhika Khadse (Wardha), Tejas Pokale (Wardha), Tanisha Tayade (Wardha), Shobha Wankar (Wardha), Vrushali Vankar (Wardha), Ovi Wankar (Wardha), Karan Budhbaware (Selu) and Rajashree Gandole (Wardha).

The bus, belonging to Vidarbha Travels, overturned and caught fire after colliding with a pole on the expressway. The surviving driver of the bus stated that the accident occurred due to a burst tire, leading to the bus veering off its course and hitting the pole.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the accident spot. According to Fadnavis, the bodies of the victims would be handed over to the families after the identity is established. "But in case the identity is not established by any other means, then a DNA test will have to be done," Fadnavis added. The Maharashtra CM has announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakhs for the kin of the deceased. One of the survivors recalled that he and a co-passenger managed to come out of the burning vehicle by breaking its rear window.

"A tyre of the bus burst and the vehicle caught fire immediately. The blaze spread in no time. The passenger seated next to me and I managed to escape by breaking the rear window," the survivor recalled. The survivor further recollected that soon after the mishap, teams of police and fire brigade reached the accident spot. The Maharashtra government has ordered an inquiry into the tragic mishap.