Bihar: Bus catches fire in Nalanda, nine dead, 12 injured

Patna: Nine passengers aboard a private bus were burnt alive and half a dozen were injured when it caught fire near Harnaaut area of Bihar’s Nalanda district on Thursday, the state police said.

All the deceased and injured were rushed to a government hospital.

#Visuals from Bihar: Bus caught fire in Nalanda’s Harnaut, Bihar govt announces ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the kin of each of the 8 killed. pic.twitter.com/TywtyIE7wQ

— ANI (@ANI_news) May 25, 2017

Over a dozen passengers got trapped in the rear side of the bus, said police officials. The bus which was heading towards Bihar Sharif from Patna, was not air-conditioned. The cause of the fire was being ascertained, they said.According to The Tribune, two gas cylinders which were placed on the roof of the bus caused the fire. It also states that the bus caught fire when passengers on the roof threw the cylinders down.However, a report in the Hindustan Times says that a malfunction in the engine was the cause for the fire.

Latest #visuals from Bihar’s Nalanda: Bus gutted in fire, 8 killed, a dozen injured. pic.twitter.com/q6B0YjLDE2 — ANI (@ANI_news) May 25, 2017

Expressing shock over the mishap, Bihar Disaster Management Minister Chandrasekhar has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the victims and promised to provide treatment to those sustained burns in the blaze.

Courtesy: ANI