
- At least nine people have died after a double-decker sleeper bus carrying around 35 passengers caught fire on the Noida Expressway in northern India.
- The blaze was triggered around 11pm by a spark in the vehicle's air-conditioning system that set the engine's lubricating oil alight.
- Passengers reported smelling smoke prior to the incident, but the driver allegedly dismissed their concerns shortly before the flames erupted.
- The driver and conductor fled the scene as thick smoke filled the vehicle, leaving passengers scrambling to escape, but both men were subsequently arrested.
- Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences and announced financial assistance for the victims' families and the injured.
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