Greater Noida: Nine people were killed after a double-decker passenger bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida while travelling from Noida to Mahoba, police said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the deaths and condoled the loss of lives. He also announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 each for those injured in the accident.

The deceased include eight men and one woman, according to Jewar Police. Police and rescue teams safely rescued 30 people from the burning bus.

Passengers struggled to escape amid heavy smoke

The fire triggered panic inside the double-decker bus, with thick smoke making it difficult for passengers to escape.

A survivor told ANI that he had fallen asleep during the journey when another passenger woke him and alerted him that the bus had caught fire. Passengers then scrambled to get out as smoke filled the vehicle.

The survivor said escaping was difficult, but they eventually managed to get out in a state of panic.

Fire brigade personnel and Jewar Police reached the spot and carried out rescue operations.

Cause of fire not yet known

The bus was travelling from Noida to Mahoba when it caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

With agency inputs