The Union government has disclosed stark figures showing 64 lives lost in 45 separate bus fire incidents across India from 2022 up to 10 December 2025, with Rajasthan enduring the devastating brunt of 45 fatalities, as detailed in the Electronic Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) system shared during Rajya Sabha proceedings.
Maharashtra recorded the highest number of such tragedies at nine, closely followed by Madhya Pradesh with eight, while primary causes like electrical short circuits and fuel leaks persist despite repeated warnings; Rajasthan officials have yet to issue a formal statement, even as Union Minister Nitin Gadkari emphasised the need for stricter adherence to safety norms amid mounting public outcry.
Tragic recent events, including a deadly October 2025 blaze in Rajasthan that claimed 19 to 21 lives and a horrific Andhra Pradesh collision killing 25, have intensified scrutiny, coinciding with fresh regulations requiring fire extinguishers, additional emergency exits, and GPS tracking on all public buses.
Shocking Stats and Victim Stories
Rajasthan’s share of 15 fire incidents alone accounted for over 70% of the total death toll, frequently involving overcrowded state-run buses plagued by poor upkeep and mechanical failures that turned routine journeys into infernos.
The 14 October 2025 incident near Jaisalmer on the Jodhpur route exemplified this horror, where a suspected electrical short circuit engulfed a vehicle carrying pilgrims and locals, leaving 19 to 20 charred beyond recognition and 15 others with severe burns that overwhelmed local hospitals.
In response, two transport department officials faced immediate suspension for flagrant violations of the Bus Body Code, including absent fire safety equipment and faulty wiring a move hailed by grieving families who described the chaos: “We watched helplessly as screams faded into smoke; these were breadwinners, children, dreams reduced to ashes,” shared one survivor’s kin in media interviews.
Nationally, Uttar Pradesh contributed eight deaths, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra five each, with over 100 injuries documented, painting a picture of systemic neglect where outdated vehicles ferry millions daily without adequate safeguards.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended condolences and announced relief funds for affected kin, yet families demand more than sympathy comprehensive overhauls to prevent recurrence.
Pattern of Recurring Disasters
This data builds on a grim legacy of bus fires that have scarred India’s roads for years, with the 24 October 2025 Andhra Pradesh highway catastrophe serving as a chilling precursor, where a motorcycle slamming into a bus’s fuel tank ignited flames that trapped sleeping passengers overnight, claiming 25 lives in southern India’s first major blaze of the season.
Just weeks prior, the Rajasthan tragedy echoed similar patterns seen in a 2022 Haryana pilgrim bus inferno that killed 11 and a 2023 Andhra Pradesh crash trapping 25 due to jammed doors, highlighting how fuel leaks, substandard wiring, and lack of escape routes repeatedly doom the vulnerable.
Road Transport Ministry advisories dating back to 2021 mandated extinguishers, GPS trackers, and annual audits, but enforcement falters in states grappling with ageing fleets amid a post-pandemic surge in passenger volumes that has stretched infrastructure thin.
Delhi’s transport minister, reacting to parallel incidents in the capital, imposed a “zero-tolerance” policy with fleet-wide inspections, exposing rusted underbellies and expired safety kits a proactive step other regions must emulate.
These episodes reveal deeper fractures: rapid urbanisation fuelling bus dependency, lax private operator oversight, and monsoon-season vulnerabilities that amplify risks, urging a national reckoning before the toll climbs further.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The sheer scale of these fiery tragedies 64 souls gone in preventable blazes cries out for empathy-fuelled urgency, where governments, operators, and citizens unite to enforce modern fleets, rigorous unannounced audits, and accountability that values every passenger’s right to safe passage.
The Logical Indian firmly advocates for a kinder India, one that honours grieving families through harmony on highways, dialogue among stakeholders, and bold policies promoting coexistence between progress and human welfare, transforming apathy into actionable change.
