Greater Noida, Sept. 25 -- For 22km after it left from Kashmere Gate, around 8.39 pm, Mohit Sharma followed the bus on his scooter, speaking to his fiancee Shruti Rawat, who was onboard, the entire distance. After 52 minutes, somewhere in Noida, she forced him to turn back. The time Mohit spoke to her was in an 18-second call at 10:21pm to say goodnight.

Around 11.30pm, the bus caught fire while it was on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida. Nine people, including Shruti, were killed in the incident.

"As per the passenger list received from the operator, there were 35 people in the bus. Nine bodies were recovered," said a police officer involved in the investigation. Till late on Thursday, only six victims had been identified: Shruti...