Tragedy struck on Tuesday night when an elderly passenger lost his life after a private bus carrying pilgrims from Telangana to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh caught fire.
The incident occurred at a tourist center in Vrindavan, where the bus was parked.
The vehicle, carrying about 50 pilgrims, arrived at the facilities early in the afternoon. While some passengers ventured out to visit temples, others stayed behind preparing food.
Witnesses reported seeing sparks flying from the bus, which quickly turned into a devastating fire. Emergency services were alerted, but flames engulfed the vehicle before they could arrive.
During the chaos, a passenger raised an alarm and pointed out that an elderly man, identified as Dhrupati, was still inside the bus. Tragically, when the fire was extinguished, emergency personnel recovered his lifeless body.
A fellow traveler, who was sitting near Dhrupati, claimed that the deceased was smoking a beedi and had chosen to stay inside while others came out.
Senior police officials, including Arvind Kumar of additional city SP, reached the spot and an investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the fire. The body has been sent for autopsy.
The group was heading to Prayagraj to take a holy dip in the Maha Kumbh that same night.