Eight people died, and 25 were injured when a bus collided with a trailer on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Dausa, Rajasthan, in the early hours of Tuesday. Both vehicles caught fire on impact.
The accident happened around 2.30am near Kolwa police station, when a Hans Travels bus travelling from Rishikesh to Indore rammed into a trailer ahead of it. Most of the 39 passengers on board were asleep at the time and woke to a loud explosion as the vehicles burst into flames.
Police suspect the bus driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, though the exact cause of the fire is still being probed. Six victims died from burns and two from severe head injuries, said SP Piyush Dixit.
District Collector Dr Soumya Jha and SP Piyush Dixit reached the site soon after, as police, fire crews and locals worked to pull passengers from the burning bus. The injured, including children, are being treated at Dausa district hospital.
Traffic on the expressway was halted for around an hour before being restored once the wreckage was cleared.