A double-decker sleeper bus carrying passengers from the Sonauli Nepal border towards Delhi met with a catastrophic end in the early hours of Tuesday when it rammed into a stationary truck on the Balrampur-Gonda state highway in Uttar Pradesh. The violent impact sent the bus veering off the road, where it slammed into a high-tension electricity pole before bursting into flames, turning the vehicle into a raging fireball within minutes and leaving rescuers helpless against the rapidly spreading inferno.

The accident took place around 2 a.m. near Rehra Bazar in Balrampur district, a relatively quiet stretch that suddenly became the scene of chaos and screams. Witnesses reported seeing bright orange flames and thick black smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the night sky as the fire, possibly fuelled by the bus’s diesel tank and electrical short-circuit from the damaged pole, engulfed the entire coach. Many passengers were asleep at the time of the collision and had little chance to escape the locked emergency exits and jammed windows.

Police and fire tenders reached the spot after frantic calls from passing motorists, but the intensity of the blaze made immediate rescue nearly impossible. Three passengers who managed to break windows or force open doors were seen running with their clothes on fire. Three individuals, charred beyond recognition, were later recovered from the twisted and melted remains of the bus. Authorities have confirmed that several Nepalese nationals returning home after visiting India were among those on board, adding an international dimension to the tragedy.

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Among the more than twenty injured, six are in critical condition with over 80 per cent burn injuries and multiple fractures. These victims have been airlifted and rushed to the King George’s Medical University trauma centre in Lucknow for advanced burn treatment and surgery, District Magistrate Vipin Jain confirmed. Medical teams are working round-the-clock to stabilise them, while forensic experts have begun the grim task of identifying the deceased through DNA sampling and passenger manifests.

Local administration has arranged temporary accommodation and medical care for survivors with minor injuries, many of whom are in deep shock. Nepalese passengers are being coordinated with the Nepal Embassy and consulate officials for documentation and safe return, while those headed to Delhi are being provided alternative transport. Senior police officials have registered a case against the truck driver, who fled the scene, and a detailed investigation into possible overspeeding, mechanical failure, or driver fatigue has been ordered to prevent such tragedies in the future.

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