Fire on Yamuna Expressway Bus Leaves Nine Dead

At least nine passengers were killed when a sleeper bus carrying about 35‑40 people caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway near the 33‑km marker late Wednesday night (September 23, 2026). The bus was on a Delhi‑to‑Mahua route in Uttar Pradesh when the blaze started around 11 p.m. in the Jewar area of Gautam Buddh Nagar district. A distress call brought eight to ten fire tenders, which worked through the night to control the flames and rescue survivors. Police say a short circuit in the air‑conditioning system may have triggered the fire and have arrested the driver and conductor under culpable homicide provisions. Jewar Inspector Ajay Kumar Singh said several passengers managed to escape and later returned home. Survivors described a smoke‑filled interior and a frantic scramble for the exit. Passenger Rinki Rajput, who survived, said, "I was asleep when someone banged on the door. When I woke up, there was already a huge crowd. I did not pick up any of my belongings; I did not even put on my shoes. I just grabbed my phone and stepped out." She added, "It was so smoky that nothing was visible. People were suffocating inside. Very few managed to escape, only those who could push their way out amidst the shoving. I was pushed around, and someone eventually pulled me out. I do not remember anything else after that." Another passenger recalled, "I was asleep when someone woke me up and said the bus had caught fire. There was smoke everywhere. We all scrambled to get out. It was not an easy situation to escape from; there was a lot of smoke." The bodies were taken to Kailash Hospital for post‑mortem examination. Police are now probing the bus’s condition and possible safety lapses that may have contributed to the deaths.