2 kids burned to death in bus fire at MP petrol pump: Vehicle, pump owners booked

Two children kids were burnt alive when a ‘condemned’, out-of-use bus parked at a petrol pump caught fire in Shahdol district on Wednesday.

The two kids, identified as 3-year-old Ashi Kushwah and 5-year-old Avva Barman, were playing in the bus when it caught fire.

The children stayed trapped in the bus before fire brigade personnel could reach the spot in half an hour.

According to Shahdol SP Sushant Saxena, the bus was parked for several months at a petrol pump near Banganga ground.

“A case of causing death by negligence has been lodged under Section 304A of IPC against the petrol pump owner and the owner of the condemned bus,” he told HT. He added that it was fortunate that the fire didn’t spread to the rest of the petrol pump.

Investigation revealed that the bus had been parked by a finance company. The registration number plate of the bus was removed to prevent it from being seized by RTO over tax dues worth Rs 10 lakh.

“We’re probing the role of a finance company in the matter and if evidence is found against it, its concerned officials too will be booked in the case,” said Saxena.

First Published: Jan 25, 2017 22:47 IST