Passengers on a packed bus escaped through thick smoke after the vehicle caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway near Noida International Airport on Thursday morning, with survivors describing panic, poor visibility and a difficult scramble towards the exit.
According to a report by the Times of India, passengers told news agency ANI that many people were asleep when they were alerted to the fire. One passenger said someone woke them after the bus had caught fire, prompting people to rush out of the vehicle.
The passenger described the escape as difficult because smoke quickly filled the bus. “It was not an easy situation to escape from; there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out in a state of panic. The bus was packed with passengers,” the passenger said, according to the report.
Another passenger said they were woken by someone banging on the bus door. By the time they became aware of the emergency, a crowd had gathered and passengers were attempting to leave. The passenger said they abandoned their belongings, did not put on their shoes and left with only a phone.
The account also points to the confusion that can arise during a fire inside a crowded vehicle. The passenger said people were pushing one another as they tried to get out and that someone eventually pulled them from the bus. Visibility inside the vehicle was severely reduced by smoke, making it difficult for passengers to identify the exit or assess who remained behind.
“It was so smoky that nothing was visible; people were suffocating inside. Very few managed to escape, only those who could push their way out amidst the shoving,” the passenger said. The same passenger added that several people were still behind them when they managed to exit, although the supplied report does not establish the final number of passengers who escaped or whether anyone was injured.
The incident occurred on the Yamuna Expressway, a major road link serving the National Capital Region and connecting the Noida area with destinations towards Agra. Its proximity to Noida International Airport places the incident within a fast-developing transport zone where inter-city buses and other road-based services remain important for passenger movement.
The passenger accounts make clear that the immediate challenge was not only the fire itself but also the speed at which smoke spread through a packed passenger compartment. They also show how sleep, darkness or reduced visibility, crowding and the location of exits can affect evacuation during a vehicle emergency.
The supplied report does not include the cause of the fire, the bus operator’s statement, details of the fire and rescue response, or information about any investigation. It also does not provide an official account of casualties or damage. Further details are expected from the relevant authorities and transport officials.
