Samruddhi Expressway: Kin accept mass cremation

People, who were killed in the bus fire tragedy, being cremated at Vaikunth Smashanbhumi, in Buldhana, on Sunday. Pic/PTI

A mass cremation was held on Sunday of 24 of the 25 victims charred to death after a private bus caught fire in Buldhana district, a senior police officer said. As most of the victims were charred beyond recognition after the bus caught fire on Saturday, efforts had been made to convince families for a mass cremation instead of a DNA analysis, the officer said.

The body of one of the victims will be handed over to the family for burial, an officer said earlier in the day. The DNA testing is a lengthy procedure, which may take days to ascertain the identity of each deceased, as per sources. The mass cremation of 24 bodies was held at Vaikunth Dham Hindu Smashan Bhoomi in Buldhana on Sunday. Relatives of the deceased and Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan were present during the cremation.

Relatives of those killed in the bus fire tragedy perform the ritual, as pyres burn at Vaikunth Smashanbhumi, in Buldhana, on Sunday. Pics/PTI

The 25 passengers were charred to death as the private bus they were travelling in caught fire after hitting a divider on the Nagpur-Mumbai ‘Samruddhi Expressway' around 1.30 am on Saturday, the police had earlier said. The deceased included 11 men and 14 women. Ten of the victims were from Wardha, seven from Pune, four from Nagpur and two each from Yavatmal and Washim. The family members of the 25 deceased have reached Buldhana, according to local administration.

Eight people, including the driver and ‘cleaner' (driver's assistant), survived the horrific accident. A case for negligent driving was registered against the bus driver on Saturday with police believing that, prima facie, he dozed off and lost control of the vehicle.

A woman breaks down during the cremation of a family member

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a probe into the accident and announced an ex-gratia assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each deceased. A report prepared by the Amaravati Regional Transport Office (RTO) said as per details provided by a survivor, the bus dashed into a steel pole on the right side, leading to the driver losing control. It then hit the divider.

Rs 5 lakh
Ex-gratia to kin of the deceased

8
No of survivors in Saturday's accident

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