{
  "id": 3290458,
  "title": "Surat-Kanpur Passenger Bus Catches Fire In MP's Sardarpur, Passengers Escape Through Windows; Several Injured",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/surat-kanpur-passenger-bus-catches-fire-in-mps-sardarpur-passengers",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-25T15:15:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/surat-kanpur-passenger-bus-catches-fire-in-mps-sardarpur-passengers-escape-through-windows-several-injured"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): A passenger bus en route from Surat, Gujarat, to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, caught fire near the Bhopawar four-lane intersection on Monday at 1:10 am. Alarm spread among passengers as smoke quickly filled the vehicle, compelling them to flee through doors and windows. One passenger noted the driver stopping after spotting smoke and allegedly leaving the scene. While some managed to escape through the door, others broke windowpanes to escape. A few sustained minor injuries, while luggage and valuables stored inside the bus were destroyed by the flames. The bus transported travelers from Surat and other parts of Gujarat to Kanpur. Passengers accused the bus of being stationary for nearly four hours at a hotel near Dahod for repairs before proceeding. Neelam Pal, a resident of Kanpur, recounted her harrowing experience with her eight-year-old son. As smoke filled the bus, she pushed her son out through a window before escaping. Her bag containing cash, silver anklets, clothing, and other possessions was burned. Sardarpur police arrived on the scene and halted traffic. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, and injured passengers were transported for medical attention. Police subsequently arranged alternate buses to assist stranded travelers. The Sardarpur fire tender was unavailable due to a two-month maintenance backlog, unable to respond when the fire erupted. Police called in fire brigades from Sardarpur, Rajgarh, and Dhar, with units from Rajgarh, located six kilometers away, and Dhar, about 40 kilometers distant, arriving at the scene and bringing the fire under control. The Sardarpur municipal council's chief medical officer, Ranjit Singh Rawat, revealed that the town's fire tender had been out of commission for two months, recently sent to Indore for repairs and not yet returned. Locals observed a \"living funeral\" to seek Lord Indra's favor and pray for rain in the midst of a prolonged dry spell.",
  "summary": "Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): A passenger bus travelling from Surat in Gujarat to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh caught fire near the Bhopawar four-lane junction in Sardarpur at 1.10 am on Monday. Panic gripped passengers as smoke began filling the vehicle, forcing them to rush out through the doors and windows. According to passengers, the driver stopped the bus after noticing smoke and reportedly left…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}