Regional Transport Office has released a report following the preliminary investigation of the tragic accident on Samruddhi Expressway. The report rules out tyre burst as the cause of the accident.
The involved bus, registered as ‘MH-29, BE-1819’, belonged to the sleeper category. Its registration was completed on January 24, 2020, and it received a fitness certificate from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) on March 10, 2023, valid until 2025. The bus was equipped with a speed governor. The accident occurred around 152 kilometres away from the Karanja Interchange.
Based on passenger reports and on-site inspections, the RTO authorities determined that the bus initially collided with a steel pole on the right side of the road, causing the driver to lose control. Consequently, the bus veered back onto the road, dislodging its front axle. The rear side of the bus collided with the concrete road divider, leading to a rupture in the diesel tank located in that area. The spilt fuel ignited, engulfing the bus in flames. Subsequently, the bus overturned, obstructing the opposite lane. The overturned position made the emergency exit doors inoperable. The accident investigation has not uncovered any evidence of a tire burst, but tire marks were found on the outer side of the left front disc. The bus was not exceeding the speed limit. It covered a distance of 152 kilometres in approximately 2 hours and 24 minutes before the accident occurred at 1:32 am. This suggests an estimated speed of around 70 kilometres per hour. The regional transport office in Amravati provided these details in their statement regarding the tragic accident.