India, Oct. 28 -- LUCKNOW While incidents of bus fires on expressways and highways continue to occur, prompting action, systemic failures in ensuring vehicle fitness and enforcing safety regulations persist. Despite casualties in earlier accidents this year, several privately operated long-route buses continue to run without proper fitness checks, raising passenger safety concerns.

As many as 39 passengers travelling in a private sleeper bus had a narrow escape early Sunday morning after the vehicle caught fire near the Rewari toll plaza on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. The bus, on its way from Delhi to Gonda via Lucknow, caught fire around 4:45am, a police officer said. All passengers were safely evacuated before the vehicle was gutted, ...