Tragedy struck in Ghazipur district on Monday morning as a passenger bus engulfed in flames, claiming the lives of at least half a dozen individuals, and leaving several others injured.

The injured are still battling for their lives after being admitted in the hospital.

It is reportedly said that the bus came in contact with an overhead high tension wire and caught fire.

The agitated local villagers pelted stones, injuring some persons, including a local leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Soon after learning about the incident, the local police and senior officers, including District Magistrate Aryaka Akhauri and Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh, reached the spot. They ensured that all the victims were shifted to hospital.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the Ghazipur accident. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased. The chief minister instructed the district administration to provide proper treatment to the injured and wished for their speedy recovery. He also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family members of those who died in the mishap and Rs 50,000 to those injured.

According to reports, a bus full of members of a marriage party caught fire after coming in contact with an 11000 high tension line. The mishap took place on the road leading to Mahahar in Mardah police station area. The bus from Kopa in Mau was on its way to Mahahar Dham in Mardah with a marriage party by an unpaved. The fire was so terrible that initially the local people did not even dare to extinguish it.

Reports said that the marriage of a girl of Kheriyan Khaja of Ranipur area of Mau, was fixed in Mahmoodpur village of Muhammadabad in the district. The marriage was to take place at Bhairon temple near Mahahar Dham. People from the girl’s side were coming to Bhairon temple from Mau. The bus was stopped at the barrier near Mahahar Dham temple. The bride got down from the bus and went to the temple on foot. After this, the bus driver took the bus through the canal track and started taking it to the temple. Meanwhile, the bus came in contact with the 11000 volt high tension line and caught fire. The people travelling in the bus could not escape. Sources said that there were about 20 people in the bus.

The bus kept burning until the power supply was switched off. The locals used buckets to carry water from an adjacent canal to douse the fire and rescue the victims.

So far six deaths have been confirmed but the deceased have not been identified.