UP | 16 dead as bus collides with truck, catches fire

At least 16 people have been reported dead when a bus on Friday night headed to Ajmer collided with a truck and burst into flames on the Gonda-Bahraich road near Chilwaria village in Uttar Pradesh. 44 injured passengers have been rushed to the nearest hospital.

The victims were mainly pilgrims on their way to Ajmer Sharif from Ambedkar Nagar. It is believed that the bus exploded because an LPG cylinder burst after the impact of the collision. A probe has been ordered to look into the incident.

District Magistrate Kinjal said the condition of two pilgrims was serious and they were referred to Shahuji Maharaj Medical College in Lucknow.

Kinjal, however, declined to specify how many people were inside the 54-seater bus, which was carrying the pilgrims from Ambedkar Nagar to Ajmer Sharif.

She said the bus caught fire possibly due to the explosion of a cooking gas cylinder inside the vehicle. However an inquiry will establish the cause, she added. Chief Development Officer of the district Sukhlal Bharti said the bus was carrying about 60 to 70 people.

However, Mehdi Raza, one of the rescued passengers, said that there were about 80 people in the bus when the accident took place.

Rescuers, using gas-cutters, cut open the twisted metal of the bus to pull out bodies and survivors from inside the vehicle.

The rescue operation has been completed, Kinjal said.

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