Maharashtra: ST bus catches fire after accident near Nashik; 2 dead

Maharashtra: Two people were killed, five were injured and 43 had a miraculous escape in an accident involving a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus in Nashik on Thursday.

The accident took place near Palse village on Nashik Pune highway around 11.45 am. A local official said that the driver of the bus headed from Rajgurunagar in Pune to Nashik lost control and hit four motorcycles and two SUVs before ramming into another MSRTC bus coming from Sinnar.

Two motorcyclists were trapped between the two buses and riders were charred to death as their bikes caught fire. Local residents broke the windows of the burning bus and rescued all 43 passengers, though 20 suffered minor injuries. Visuals of the blazing bus went viral on social media, showing smoke engulfing the vehicle as the blaze flared and charred the bus. Meanwhile, MSRTC has formed a committee to inquire into the matter.

Two fire tenders from Nashik Road fire station and one rescue van from Shingada Talao fire station were rushed to the spot and the blaze was doused. A police official said, “It seems that the bus coming from Rajgurunagar suffered brake failure, but details are awaited. Traffic on the highway was disrupted for some time due to the accident.”

On October 8, 12 people were killed and 35 injured when a private bus caught fire after colliding with a truck on the Nashik-Aurangabad highway in Nashik district.