Buldhana (Maharashtra): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday afternoon visited the accident spot in Buldhana district where 25 people including three children were charred to death after a bus carrying 33 passengers caught fire.
The bus, belonging to Vidarbha Travels, overturned and caught fire after colliding with a pole on the Samruddhi Mahanmarg. 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.
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"This is a big accident. Most of the accidents which have taken place on the Samruddhi Mahamarg are due to human errors," Chief Minister Shinde told reporters.
"The state government has taken this accident very seriously. Eyewitnesses have told us that QRV, police, and fire brigade personnel reached the spot quickly, but passengers could not be saved as the bus door was locked," added Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He also said that his government will take all necessary measures to prevent mishaps. He had earlier announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the kin of the deceased.
Later, the Maharashtra CM and the Deputy CM arrived at the Buldhana Civil Hospital, where the eight injured have been admitted and are undergoing treatment.
Maharashtra DCM Devendra Fadnavis had said that a smart system is being installed on the Samruddhi Expressway to prevent mishaps. "The smart system will check the speed of vehicles and alert them. But it will take some time. Till then, we will have to create awareness among drivers at the toll booths on what precautions need to be taken to prevent accidents at night," Fadnavis added.
