'Efforts on to convince kin for mass cremation of Maha bus fire victims'

NAGPUR: As most of the victims of bus fire tragedy in Maharashtra's Buldhana district have been charred beyond recognition, efforts are on to convince their families for mass cremation of the bodies instead of their DNA analysis, a senior official said on Sunday.

The DNA testing is a lengthy procedure which may take days to ascertain the identity of the deceased, as per sources.

Twenty five 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' in eastern Maharashtra's Buldhana district in the early hours of Saturday, police earlier said.

The deceased included 11 male and 14 female passengers. Ten of the victims were from Wardha, seven from Pune, four from Nagpur and two each from Yavatmal and Washim.

Eight persons, including the driver and `cleaner' (driver's assistant) survived the horrific accident. Family members of the 25 deceased have reached Buldhana, according to local administration.

The district administration has been holding talks with the victims' relatives since Saturday evening to convince them for mass cremation of the bodies rather than going for the DNA analysis, it said. ''Discussions with family members of the deceased are in final stages and the issue will be resolved soon,'' Buldhana Collector H P Tummod told PTI.

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.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered a probe into the accident and announced an ex-gratia assistance of Rs five lakh for the families of each deceased.

The sleeper coach bus of `Vidarbha Travels' was on its way to Pune from Nagpur when it met with the accident around 1.30 am on Saturday at Pimpalkhuta village near Sindkhedraja, 130 km from Nagpur.

A report prepared by the Amaravati Regional Transport Office (RTO) said as per the 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.

After the front axle assembly got dislocated, the front portion of the bus hit the road and the resultant friction generated heat and fire (as engine oil temperature was also high since the bus was in on mode), the report said.

The vehicle then overturned on its left side, which blocked the passenger entrance-exit, and the loss of alignment of the vehicle due to the impact of the accident also made the emergency door inoperative, creating a virtual death trap for the passengers.