Republic Exposé Shows Private Buses Flouting Norms Amid Spurt In Fire Accidents

New Delhi: A sharp rise in bus fire accidents has triggered serious concerns about the safety of a mode of transport relied upon by lakhs of Indians across the country.

Since 2013, at least 130 people, involved in at least seven major fires on buses, paid with their lives.

Recent tragedies, including the deaths of 21 people in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool on October 24 and 20 fatalities in Rajasthan’s Thaiyat village on October 14, have once again highlighted critical safety failures. Investigations point to highly flammable interiors, blocked or narrow exits, non-functional or absent emergency exits, lack of basic safety equipment, minimal reaction time for passengers, and poorly trained staff as key factors contributing to these deadly incidents.

Despite established safety standards, poor implementation by bus operators and multiple systemic lapses mean that passengers are unknowingly boarding vehicles that could turn into death traps.

What Republic Sting Exposes

Following an alarming spike in bus accidents, a Republic TV sting has exposed widespread violations of safety norms by private bus operators, in some cases directly leading to fatal incidents. Visuals accessed by Republic clearly show passenger buses carrying excessive quantities of diesel cans, a practice that has resulted in buses catching fire even after minor accidents.

Additionally, private buses were found carrying rubber tyres, which, at times, led to explosions during accidents, raising serious questions about regulatory oversight. These revelations have put the spotlight on the Transport Ministry, which appears to have turned a blind eye to the nature and extent of hazardous materials being carried in passenger buses.

Latest Bus accidents

A series of deadly bus fire incidents across the country has reignited serious concerns over passenger safety.

Most recently, five people lost their lives after a private sleeper bus caught fire following a collision with a truck in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district. The bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Shivamogga, a journey of over 300 kilometres, when the accident occurred on National Highway-48 around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday. Reports indicate that the truck jumped the divider, crashed into the bus, and triggered the blaze.

Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh bus fire in Kurnool sent shockwaves nationwide after at least 20 passengers were killed in October. The incident occurred in the early hours of October 24 when a Bengaluru-bound sleeper bus ran over a motorcycle that had already met with an accident at Chinna Tekuru village. The motorcycle became lodged beneath the bus and was dragged along the road, causing its fuel tank cap to open and ignite, resulting in a massive fire that engulfed the vehicle.

In another tragic incident, at least 20 people were killed and several others injured after a private bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire near Thaiyat village in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district. According to officials, smoke was first seen emerging from the rear of the moving bus shortly after it departed Jaisalmer around 3 p.m. The vehicle soon burst into flames. “The moving bus caught fire, and casualties have been reported. The injured have been rushed to hospital, and rescue operations are underway,” said Jaisalmer Additional Superintendent of Police Kailash Dhan. Local villagers and passersby rushed to the spot and assisted in rescuing passengers before fire and police teams arrived.

In yet another incident, at least two people were killed and 12 others sustained severe burn injuries after a private sleeper bus caught fire on the Jaipur–Delhi Highway. The accident occurred near Todi village in the Manoharpur area when the bus came into contact with a high-tension power line. Five critically injured passengers were referred to Jaipur for advanced treatment, while others are being treated at a hospital in Shahpura..

Bus accidents in India

Bus fire accidents have claimed at least 64 lives and left 145 people injured across the country, according to data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Between January 1, 2021, and December 10, 2025, Karnataka alone reported three fire-related bus incidents in which 14 people were injured.

These figures do not include at least six additional fatalities reported on Thursday, December 25, when a container truck rammed into a Bengaluru-bound bus, triggering a fire that rapidly engulfed the vehicle and left passengers with little time to escape.

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