Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 1: At least seven people were killed and 22 others injured after a sleeper bus collided with a trailer and caught fire on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Rajasthan's Dausa in the early hours of Wednesday.

The accident occurred around 2.30 am when the bus, travelling from Rishikesh to Indore in Madhya Pradesh, reportedly rammed into a trailer at high speed. The impact triggered a massive fire, engulfing both vehicles within minutes.

According to officials, five passengers died due to severe burn injuries, while two others succumbed to head injuries sustained in the collision. Several passengers sleeping in the upper berths were thrown from their seats by the force of the impact.

Eyewitnesses said many of those who lost their lives were asleep when the accident occurred. Dramatic visuals from the scene showed both vehicles engulfed in flames as trapped passengers cried out for help.

Fire and rescue personnel rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. The injured, most of them women and children, were shifted to the Dausa District Hospital for treatment.

Police suspect that the bus driver may have dozed off before the crash. Excessive speed is also being examined as a possible cause of the accident.

Meanwhile, local residents alleged that rescue and firefighting teams reached the spot late, claiming that passengers trapped inside the burning bus were rescued nearly an hour after the fire broke out.

Locals also claimed that the bus's luggage compartment contained cigarette packets, which may have accelerated the spread of the fire. However, officials have not confirmed the allegation.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident and are working to identify all the injured passengers.