Uttar Pradesh news: Five dead as bus catches fire on Kisan Path in Lucknow

Five people including two children, lost their lives when a private bus caught fire in the Mohanlalganj area early Thursday morning, PTI reported citing police. The incident took place around 5 a.m. on Kisan Path, a key highway located on the outskirts of Lucknow.

PTI reported citing sources stated that the bus was carrying approximately 80 passengers at the time.
 

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mohanlalganj) Rajneesh Verma said the bus was en route to Delhi from Begusarai in Bihar when it suddenly caught fire.

“Initial investigation suggests that the fire may have started due to a short circuit in the bus' gearbox,” Verma told PTI.

Most of the passengers were asleep when the fire started. It spread rapidly and five passengers -- two women, two children and a man -- were unable to get out in time and died. Several other passengers sustained injuries and have been taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.

Here's what eyewitnesses say

According to eyewitnesses, the flames were visible from almost a kilometre away. The bus did not come to a halt immediately after the fire broke out, the eyewitnesses said, PTI reported.

Firefighters arrived at the scene promptly and were able to bring the blaze under control within 30 minutes.

Police discovered that the bus's emergency exit door malfunctioned, trapping passengers seated at the rear of the vehicle.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the precise cause of the fire.

(This is a developing story)