At least nine passengers lost their lives late Wednesday night after an overnight sleeper bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida, a city near India’s capital, Delhi. Authorities have launched an investigation into the blaze, which police believe originated in the vehicle’s air conditioning unit.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes as thick smoke filled the bus, trapping passengers in their berths. One survivor told the ANI news agency that he was awakened by cries of fire and struggled to escape through the dense smoke alongside other travelers. “It was not an easy situation to escape, there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out,” the passenger said.
Police reported that both the bus driver and conductor successfully fled the scene and are currently absconding. Officials are treating the incident as suspicious and are examining whether maintenance failures contributed to the ignition.
This tragedy marks another addition to a troubling pattern of fatal bus fires across India. In March 2026, at least 13 people perished in a bus accident in Andhra Pradesh. Earlier incidents include a collision with a motorcycle in Kurnool in October 2025 that killed 20 people, a fire in Rajasthan that claimed at least 20 lives, and a blaze on a Maharashtra expressway in April 2025 that resulted in 25 deaths and eight injuries.
Isn’t this the fifth major bus fire in just over a year? What regulatory changes are actually being implemented?
It is terrifying that the driver and conductor just fled. They left nine people to die in their seats.
Devastating news. The smoke trapped everyone inside. How can this keep happening with no accountability?