Maharashtra bus fire: President Murmu expresses condolences to bereaved families

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said the heart-wrenching incident of a bus catching fire in Maharashtra claiming 25 lives was extremely disturbing and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.

Twenty-five passengers were charred to death after their bus caught fire after hitting a divider following a tyre burst on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra's Buldhana district in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

Eight others, including the bus driver and its cleaner, survived the tragedy as they managed to come out of the burning vehicle through broken windows, they said.

"The heart-wrenching tragedy in Buldhana, Maharashtra, claiming many precious lives, including children and women, is extremely disturbing.

"My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. May they have enough courage to bear this tragic loss. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," Murmu tweeted.