At least 9 killed as bus carrying pilgrims catches fire in Haryana’s Nuh
Police said that the bus was carrying approximately 60 pilgrims from Punjab and Chandigarh, who had visited Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh in the past week and were on their way to Chandigarh
Gurugram: At least nine people were killed and over a dozen injured after the bus they were travelling in caught fire in Haryana’s Kundali-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway on Friday night, said police.
The bus caught fire on the Kundali-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway (Twitter Photo)
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Nuh deputy commissioner (DC) Dhirender Khadgata said a tourist bus carrying around 60 pilgrims from Punjab and Chandigarh was returning from Mathura-Vrindavan to Chandigarh via KMP when it caught fire near the Tauru border.
The bus caught fire near the Dhulawat toll plaza around 2.30am, said police, adding they are trying to ascertain the reason behind the fire.
“As soon as the incident was reported, police administration officials reached the scene, and four fire trucks promptly controlled the fire. The police immediately took the injured to the hospital for treatment”, said the DC.
He said that a forensic team (FSL) from Madhuban will reach Nuh today to investigate the cause of the incident.
Khadgata added that all the injured are undergoing treatment at the Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Medical College in Nalhar. “Senior doctors are overseeing their treatment. After initial treatment, four injured individuals have been discharged, while two have been referred to a hospital in Delhi.”
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The injured have been identified as Hansraj Singh, Payal Sharma, Soni Sharma, Swatantra Sharma, Sudesh Kumari, Urmila Sharma, Nisha Sharma, Anju Sharma, Meena Rani, Krishna, Naresh Kumar, Jasvinder Rana, Baljeet Singh, Poonam, V. Kumari, and Shanti.
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The injured have been identified as Hansraj Singh, Payal Sharma, Soni Sharma, Swatantra Sharma, Sudesh Kumari, Urmila Sharma, Nisha Sharma, Anju Sharma, Meena Rani, Krishna, Naresh Kumar, Jasvinder Rana, Baljeet Singh, Poonam, V. Kumari, and Shanti.
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Police said they have identified six out of the nine deceased so far. The deceased have been identified as Shashi Sharma, Gautam Sharma, Jovita alias Khushi, Sunita Bhasin, Darshan Lal, and Amar Rani.
Police have rolled out phone numbers for any information regarding this incident. People can reach out on ‘9996384249 or the police helpline number 8930900281’.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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