Uttar Pradesh: 22 die as bus catches fire in Bareilly after colliding with truck, several in critical condition

A Uttar Pradesh State Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus caught fire after colliding with a truck on National Highway 24 in Bareilly at around 1 am late on Sunday night.[caption id="attachment_3517827" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Representational image. AFP[/caption]According to various media reports, at least 22 people were charred to death while several others were injured. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals. Majority of the injured are said to be in critical condition. The bus was headed from New Delhi to Gonda depot in central Uttar Pradesh, as reported by Hindustan Times.According to NDTV, after the collision, the diesel tank of the bus burst which led to the fire. However, authorities have not confirmed the details of the incident. Report in Hindustan Times further mentioned that the accident occurred on an under-construction stretch of the highway between Bareilly and Shahjahanpur.The collision occurred as the driver was reported to be speeding past a junction. Senior superintendent of police, Bareilly, Joginder Kumar reportedly said, "At least 20 other passengers who managed to escape have been admitted in hospital. We have recovered charred remains of around 10 passengers and our teams are trying to locate others."According to an ANI tweet, the deceased will be receiving an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh while those injured will receive Rs 50,000 as announced by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished for the speedy recovery of those injured: "The bus accident in UP's Bareilly is heart-rending. I condole the loss of lives. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest", as per ANI.