RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Oct 25: A bus driver and conductor were charred to death after they slept drunk by lighting candles inside their bus named Moonlight which was parked at the Khadgarha bus stand on Diwali night.
The deceased have been identified as Madan Mahto, a resident of Gumla, and Mohammed Ibrahim, a resident of Chaibasa.
Officer-in-charge of Lower Bazar police station, Sanjay Kumar, confirmed the incident saying if the police had not swung into action after getting information, the casualty figures had been more.
“When fire engulfed the bus, as many as 52 buses were parked at the stand. The driver of the Kohinoor bus, which was parked beside the Moonlight bus, realized the fire after and woke up raising an alarm. It was getting to 10 pm. One of the police officers was present at the Kanta Toli bus stand. He immediately informed the fire brigade and they turned up at the spot without wasting time. Meanwhile, drivers of the other buses moved their buses to safe locations reducing the possibility of spreading fire,” OC Kumar said.
Asked about the attempt made to save the driver and Khalasi, OC Kumar said: “Those present at the bus stand tried to make both driver and conductor wake up. They knocked on the doors of buses locked from the inside. But completely drunk they did not respond and before any other measures could be taken to save them they got charred. Finally, two burnt bodies were recovered from the bus.”
“If they had not slept drunk, they would have been saved. Liquor is a very bad thing,” OC Kumar said.
