On Saturday, at around 2 am, a bus traveling from Yavatmal to Pune caught fire on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg Expressway. The incident claimed the lives of 25 people, while eight others sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Buldhana. The bus, operated by Vidarbha Travels, was carrying a total of 33 passengers.

The driver of the bus survived and was taken into custody by the police for questioning. According to reports, the driver revealed that he lost control of the vehicle after a tyre burst, causing a collision with an iron pole. The bus subsequently overturned and quickly caught fire. The authorities are still in the process of identifying the deceased. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives.

बुलढाणा जिल्ह्यातील सिंदखेडराजाजवळ समृद्धी महामार्गावर खाजगी बसच्या झालेल्या भीषण अपघाताबद्दल मुख्यमंत्री एकनाथ शिंदे यांनी तीव्र दुःख व्यक्त केले आहे. या अपघातातील मृत आणि त्यांच्या कुटुंबिंयांप्रति सहवेदना प्रकट करुन या दुर्दैवी घटनेतील मृतांच्या नातेवाईकांना मुख्यमंत्री…

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 1, 2023

This incident has garnered nationwide attention. Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his grief in a tweet, stating, “The road accident in Maharashtra`s Buldhana district is heartbreaking. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific accident. The administration is providing prompt treatment to the injured. I pray to god for their speedy recovery.”

NCP leader Sharad Pawar also extended his condolences to the families of the deceased while raising the issue of speed limits in a tweet. He stated, “In light of this unfortunate incident, the issue of speed limits for private vehicles on the Samriddhi Highway needs to be deliberated upon. The state government should take serious note of this and implement immediate measures.”

बुलढाणा जिल्ह्यातील सिंदखेडराजा पिंपळखुटा भागात समृध्दी महामार्गावर लक्झरी बस उलटून भीषण अपघात झाल्याची घटना अत्यंत दुर्दैवी आहे. या अपघातात 25 प्रवाशांचा आगीत होरपळून मृत्यू झाला. मृतांना भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली. अपघातातील जखमींवर लवकरात लवकर उपचार होऊन ते बरे व्हावेत ही प्रार्थना.…

— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) July 1, 2023

Pawar added that a week prior to the incident, he had requested accident statistics from the concerned department and emphasized the urgent need for preventive measures to avoid accidents.

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