A catastrophic road accident on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Dausa district, Rajasthan, during the early hours of Tuesday night left several families from Indore in devastating grief. A Hans Travels sleeper bus packed with pilgrims returning from Rishikesh ploughed into a trailer at high speed on the highway, and both vehicles were swallowed by a massive fire within moments. Eight people have died in the accident so far, five of them residents of Indore. Twenty-two passengers sustained serious burn injuries and have been admitted to the district hospital in Dausa.
Collision at 2:30 AM: A Driver Dozes Off at the Wheel
The crash took place around 2:30 AM on Tuesday night, near Tanawad Zero Point in the Kolwa police station area on the expressway. Preliminary police findings suggest the bus driver suddenly fell asleep, causing the speeding bus to ram straight into the trailer ahead. Fire broke out the instant the two vehicles collided, and it spread so rapidly that passengers sleeping inside had no time to react. Five people were burned alive in the blaze, while three others died from the severity of their injuries.
Grief Descends on Indore
News of the accident sent shockwaves through Indore, where the homes of the victims erupted in mourning. The families of these pilgrims, who had set out on a religious journey to Rishikesh, never imagined their loved ones would return under such heartbreaking circumstances. Relatives have been inconsolable since learning of the tragedy.
An Eyewitness Account: Smoke Everywhere, a Wife Trapped in Her Seat
Chandraprakash Gupta, an Indore resident who was on board the bus, recounted the harrowing experience through tears. He said thick smoke filled the bus almost immediately after the crash. He managed to escape, but his wife's leg was caught between the bus seats. He fought desperately to free her, and during those agonising moments she lost consciousness.
No Help for an Hour: Serious Questions Over the Emergency Response
Chandraprakash Gupta alleged that he made repeated calls to the highway patrol and local police after the accident, yet no rescue team reached the scene for close to an hour after he raised the alarm. He said that had the rescue team arrived in time, many more lives could have been saved. The allegation has cast a serious shadow over the emergency response infrastructure on the expressway and raised pressing questions about why help was delayed for so long.
