Ahmedabad

One passenger was charred to death and six others sustained burn injuries after a private luxury sleeper bus caught fire in Banaskantha district in the early hours of Friday, police said.

According to officials, some of the injured passengers are in critical condition.

The bus was travelling to Ahmedabad from Nachna when the fire broke out near Nenawa village in Dhanera taluka at around 3.30 am. Most passengers were asleep at the time, police said.

The flames quickly engulfed the entire vehicle, causing panic among those on board, an official from Dhanera Police Station said.

To escape the fire and thick smoke, several passengers broke windows and jumped out of the bus.

“Amid the chaos, a passenger was charred to death,” the official said.

At least six injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, with some reported to be in critical condition.

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Police said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and further investigation is underway.