Greater Noida bus fire: booking manager arrested for negligence
Police said passengers had called Vikas Kumar about smoke and fire before the blaze but he did not act; three more victims were identified on Friday
On September 23, the bus transporting passengers from Greater Noida to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh caught fire, resulting in the tragic loss of nine lives. The Greater Noida police have arrested the booking manager of the affected company, Vikas Kumar, for alleged negligence, according to the incident report filed at the Jewar police station.
According to police analysis of call detail records, passengers had alerted the 42-year-old booking manager about smoke and fire concerns prior to the blaze. However, the manager failed to take any action despite being warned, the authorities stated. The bus had been approximately 5 km away from the Noida International Airport when the fire erupted.
The initial report, filed by a survivor, revealed that passengers detected a burning odor emanating from the driver's cabin around 11.30 p.m. Subsequently, they repeatedly requested the crew to halt the vehicle. However, the driver dismissed the concerns as common occurrences and did not halt to inspect the vehicle.
Prior to Vikas Kumar's arrest, two drivers and a conductor were apprehended by the police. All four individuals were brought before the District and Sessions Court in Surajpur on Friday and were ordered to remain in 14 days' judicial custody. Breathalyzer tests conducted on the drivers and conductor yielded negative results, the police revealed.
Following the incident, three additional victims were identified, and their remains were handed over to their respective families. A senior police officer confirmed that the victims' bodies were severely charred and were identified through DNA tests and the comparison of physical features by relatives.
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