9 dead as AC sleeper bus catches fire in Greater Noida; driver, conductor flee

Nine people were killed after an AC sleeper bus they were travelling in caught fire in Greater Noida late on Wednesday.According to the police, the bus with 35 passengers was travelling from Noida to Mahoba when the incident took place in Dayanatpur village in Jewar, on the Yamuna Expressway. The bus driver and conductor managed to flee the spot.In a statement, the Greater Noida police said the fire erupted after a blast in the bus' AC. "The fire broke out after a spark or blast in the bus’s AC caused the engine lubricating oil to catch fire, allowing the flames to spread rapidly," it said. The police said the fire on the bus bearing a Bihar registration broke out around 11pm.