Woman burnt to death, 19 injured

A woman died and 19 others suffered various percentages of burns after a CNG-run Blueline bus caught fire in Shahbad Dairy in Outer Delhi on Friday evening.

A woman died and 19 others suffered various percentages of burns after a CNG-run Blueline bus caught fire in Shahbad Dairy in Outer Delhi on Friday evening.

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The injured include nine men, four women and six children, including a six-month-old infant. The woman who died in the fire has not been identified yet, police said.

A senior police officer, who didn't give his name, as he isn't authorized to speak to media, said, "Three fire tenders were sent to the spot and they took about half-an-hour to douse the flames. The injured were immediately sent to Maharishi Valmiki, Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Lok Nayak hospitals for treatment."

The police were informed around 3:15 pm.

Kiran, who gave only her first name, said a fellow passenger who was carrying some combustible substance set himself on fire due to which the bus caught fire. She was one of the passengers in the bus.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer) Atul Katiyar said, “Its CNG cylinder was apparently leaking which suddenly burst. Passengers broke the front windowpane and jumped outside to save their lives.”

Ramesh Jain, a student who was coming back from an interview, said, “I was travelling with all my certificates as I had appeared in an interview earlier. I was lucky to get out of the bus in time but my certificates were destroyed in the fire.”

The police said the rear part of the bus was charred and it broke.

“We are questioning the passengers, apart from the driver and conductor in connection with the incident,” the police officer said. A case has been registered.