Fire in Blueline kills man

NEW DELHI: One person was killed and 21 others injured when a Blueline bus burst into flames after colliding with a dumper early on Sunday morning. The accident took place on Tilak Marg near India Gate at around 5.30 am.
The bus plying on route number 502, between Old Delhi and Mehrauli, was reportedly speeding when the mishap took place. Immediately after hitting the dumper, the bus was engulfed in flames, trapping passengers inside.The body of the passenger who died was charred beyond recognition. The injured were rushed to RML and LNJP hospitals. "While 21 people were injured, five were discharged after first aid. The driver of the bus, Wazir alias Pappu, is in a critical condition. The others are out of danger and recuperating," said DCP (east) Shankar Dash. He added that the driver of the dumper was absconding.
However, according to the passengers, the dumper driver was not at fault. Some of them alleged that the driver of the bus had been driving rashly, zipping between vehicles dangerously. "He was fighting with the passengers and on more than one occasion he left the steering wheel to turn and abuse someone. Even when the bus hit the dumper, the driver was fighting with someone and was not looking where he was going," said a passenger, who suffered a fractured collarbone. Another victim confirmed the first passenger's account and said the driver went on abusing anybody who tried to warn him against driving recklessly. A police official said no case had been registered yet as investigations were still underway.
Meanwhile, police officials said the bus caught fire probably because it was running on CNG. "CNG is flammable, although it is safer than petrol. It takes a bus about two minutes to be completely gutted if there is a CNG leak. We are examining the maintenance of the bus because such things happen in poorly maintained vehicles. We are seeking expert advice on this," said an official from Tilak Marg police station.
However, when contacted, IGL officials defended CNG saying it was extremely safe. "CNG is flammable only it is in a 5 to 15% air to CNG mixture. Authorised CNG cylinders don't explode as they are made from cast iron, which is non-inflammable. This matter needs looking into as it is not fair to blame CNG for the fire. A lot depends upon the maintenance of the bus as well. We ask people to not speak on their mobile phones at CNG stations because they or even a spark in the car stereo circuit can cause a major fire," said a IGL spokesperson.