VARANASI: At least five persons, including three women and a child, were killed while seven others suffered
burn injuries
when a bus carrying 43 members of a
marriage party
caught fire after coming in contact with an overhead high-tension wire in
Ghazipur district
on Monday afternoon.
Condoling the loss of lives, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Aditynath, in a post on X, said
financial assistance
of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the family of each of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured persons. He also directed that free treatment be given to the injured. "The loss of lives in an accident in Ghazipur district is extremely sad and heart wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed souls and speedy recovery to the injured," CM Yogi said.
Divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said five injured persons were admitted to Ghazipur medical college hospital while two injured were referred to Mau. In view of the critical condition of a child, he was further referred to BHU in Varanasi, he said, adding that the other 31 persons of the marriage party were safe.
According to eyewitnesses, a family from Khiriya Kajha village of Mau district had booked the bus carrying 43 members of the bride's family, her relatives and other invitees to Mahahar Dham to solemnise the wedding ceremony. As the traffic was diverted on the main road leading to the temple, most of the marriage party members left the bus and moved on foot. However, 15 persons, mostly women and children, stayed in the bus when it took a 'kuchcha' road along a canal to reach close to the Mahahar Dham temple. Here the bus came in contact with a low-hanging high-tension wire and caught fire. Many of them jumped out of the bus but at least four were charred to death on the spot.
Ghazipur SP Omvir Singh calmed the protesters to focus on ensuring the best possible treatment for the injured.
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