New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) A tragic incident occurred in the Vikaspuri area of West Delhi, where a bus helper was burnt alive after a massive fire broke out inside a parked bus.
The deceased has been identified as Sunil (25), who was reportedly sleeping inside the bus when the fire erupted. According to initial information from the spot, Sunil had lit an incense stick inside the bus to repel mosquitoes. It is suspected that the fire may have started from the incense stick and gradually spread across the vehicle.
An official said the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) received a call about the fire at around 12.35 a.m. on Monday. Soon after, fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
The incident came to light when people in the vicinity noticed thick smoke and flames coming out of the bus. A video that has surfaced on social media shows the entire bus engulfed in flames, with fire spreading rapidly across the vehicle.
Due to the intensity of the blaze, Sunil allegedly did not get any chance to escape and remained trapped inside. Local residents immediately informed the police and the fire department.
Firefighters reached the scene and, after considerable effort, managed to bring the flames under control. Once the fire was extinguished, Sunil’s charred body was found inside the bus. The body was recovered and sent to a hospital for post-mortem examination.
Police said the bus involved in the incident was a private vehicle bearing a Haryana registration number. It was reportedly a new bus and had been on the road for only about 28 days. The incident has also come as a shock to the bus owner, as the vehicle was brand new.
Authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident to determine the exact cause of the fire. Police are examining whether the blaze was caused solely by the incense stick or if there was any other technical fault, including possible electrical short-circuiting or fuel-related issues.
Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.
Earlier, on February 6, a fire broke out at an NDMC-administered ground near the Safdarjung airport, the Delhi Fire Service said.
In another major fire-related tragedy, on January 7, a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) employee, his wife, and their nine-year-old daughter were charred to death in a fire at a DMRC-allotted flat at Metro Apartments in Mukundpur, north-west Delhi.
The deceased in that incident were identified as Ajay Vimal (44), an Assistant Section Engineer posted at Barakhamba metro station, his wife Neelam Vimal (43), and their daughter Jahnavi. Ajay, a native of Uttar Pradesh, had joined the DMRC in 2006 and shifted to the Mukundpur flat in 2016.
–IANS
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