Nagpur Pune bus tragedy survivors recount horror

Day after bus tragedy, survivors recount horror

NAGPUR: For many Nagpur families it was a relief that their kin travelling in ill-fated buses that collided and caught fire at Chincholi Bari Phata near Mehkar in Buldhana district on Monday.

No one from Nagpur except the driver Mohammed Iqbal Khan was among the dead in the accident that left 16 dead and 57 injured. The dead also included Chandrakant Narala, conductor of the Pune bound bus, who hailed from Narkhed.

Survivors from city still could not believe their luck. Most passengers in the Pune-bound bus of Saini Travels were from city. Most of them escaped with minor injuries while a some who suffered serious injuries are undergoing treatment at private hospitals in the city.

For 23-year-old Meenakshi Kumbhare, a passenger in the same bus, it feels like second life. She witnessed the horrifying sight of flames nearing her before passing out. Someone among the passengers managed to throw her out of the burning vehicle. A resident of Sitabuldi, Meenakshi works as a mechanical engineer in a private company in Pune. She had come to city for a few days. She said she was fast asleep on seat no. 6 when the accident took place. She explained that though she was almost caught up in the flames, she didn't realize it then. "I only remember being thrown out of the window. I have only blurred images of fire, people running helter-skelter screaming for help," she said.

Another traveller Shashank Taraskar (27) claimed it was their driver's fault that led to the mishap. A medical student, Shashank had boarded the bus from Dharampeth with his junior Meenal Gulane and was heading to their college at Aurangabad. He said he had heard other passengers blame the driver Iqbal whom they had seen consuming liquor when the bus halted at a dhaba for dinner on Bhandara road. Though a medical student, Shashank said he was helpless and could only see people burning alive and not help them. Shashank was lucky for second time. He said a year ago when he was travelling by the bus, it had collided with a truck but there were no casualties.

On Sunday night too, Shashank was awake when collision took place. "I was playing a game on cell phone when I heard a thud. I realized our bus had met with an accident. Before I could stand up to see, the bus took a 50 degree turn and fell to a side."

Somehow Shashank managed to get up but was horrified to see the cabin catching fire. Like others, he too broke the window panes and jumped out with Meenal. He was dragged out by some people who broke the window.

Meanwhile, Saini Travels too announced that they would compensate the victims.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Day-after-bus-tragedy-survivors-recount-horror/articleshow/10924366.cms