At least nine killed as sleeper bus catches fire on Yamuna Expressway; driver, conductor arrested for culpable homicide

At least nine passengers, including a woman, were killed after a sleeper bus carrying around 35–40 people caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway near the 33-km marker late on Wednesday night (September 23, 2026), triggering a massive rescue operation.

The bus was travelling from Delhi to Mahua in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi district when the fire broke out around 11 p.m. in the Jewar area of Gautam Buddh Nagar district. Following a distress call, 8–10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot and personnel worked through the night to contain the blaze and rescue passengers.

The driver and conductor of the bus have been arrested, and the Jewar police have registered a case against them under provisions relating to culpable homicide. Preliminary investigation has indicated that a short circuit in the air-conditioning system may have triggered the fire, police said.