Blast in AC set engine oil ablaze: What caused Greater Noida bus fire that killed 9

The fire at a sleeper bus in Greater Noida that killed nine people was caused after a spark in the bus’s air-conditioning system set the engine lubricating oil ablaze, police have said.

The incident took place around 11pm on Wednesday near Dayanatpur village in Jewar, on the Yamuna Expressway. The Bihar-registered bus was travelling from Noida to Mahoba with 35 passengers onboard.

According to Greater Noida police, “the fire broke out after a spark or blast in the bus’s AC caused the engine lubricating oil to catch fire, allowing the flames to spread rapidly.”

What happened

A few passengers noticed a burning smell after the bus reached the Yamuna Expressway and asked the driver to stop, Jewar station house officer Ajay Kumar Singh said.

“By the time the driver stopped the vehicle, the fire broke out and quickly engulfed the vehicle. There were 35 passengers onboard. Nine people, including a woman, failed to escape,” Singh said.

A passenger who escaped told ANI that many people were sleeping when the fire broke out.

“I was sleeping when someone woke me up saying the bus had caught fire, and we all scrambled to get out. It was not an easy situation to escape, there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out. The bus was packed with passengers,” the passenger said.

Driver, conductor caught

Police said the driver and conductor managed to flee before police reached the spot. They were later caught, police said.

A case will be registered and a detailed investigation launched to establish the exact cause of the fire and examine whether any safety lapses contributed to the tragedy, police said.

What police said

Chief fire officer of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Pradeep Kumar, said the bus was travelling from Kashmere Gate in Delhi towards Mahoba when it suddenly caught fire near the 33-kilometre milestone on the Yamuna Expressway, within the Jewar police station limits.

Senior police officers, local police teams, rescue tenders and four fire service units rushed to the spot after receiving the information and carried out the firefighting and rescue operation. Kumar said 20 to 25 people were rescued from the bus.

Nine people were later found dead inside the vehicle, having died due to burns and suffocation. Police were working to identify the deceased, while an FIR was registered under relevant sections. The driver and conductor were taken into custody, he said.

Kumar added that the fire originated in the bus engine and intensified rapidly because of the presence of fuel.

₹2 lakh ex-gratia for families

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of those killed.

He spoke to the victims’ families and directed officials to provide possible assistance. He also ordered authorities to ensure proper medical treatment for those injured in the fire.

Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of those killed in the accident and ₹50,000 each for those injured.

PM Modi condoles deaths

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the Greater Noida bus fire and announced an ex gratia amount of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said she was “deeply anguished” by the tragedy. On X, she said, “In this hour of hardship, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed souls and a swift recovery to the injured.”