Bhopal, March 25
A bus cleaner was charred to death in a fire at Singrauli bus stand in Madhya Pradesh. The incident unfolded late Monday night as the fire engulfed two buses, leaving Harish Panika (24) dead.

Harish had been resting in one of the buses, following an evening of camaraderie and drinks with his colleagues.

Traffic police station in-charge Deependra Kushwaha said, "It is common for the staff of private bus operators to sleep inside their vehicles when they have early morning departures."

Three staff members- driver Zahid Khan, conductor Kashi Patel, and cleaner Harish Panika - were inside a private bus.

Kashi, asleep in the front seat, awoke around midnight to the horrifying sight of flames engulfing the bus. Panicked, he shouted to alert the others and scrambled out through the front gate. Zahid managed to escape through the rear door.

However, Harish, trapped in the middle seat, couldn't flee in time, the officer said. The fire spread with alarming speed, leaving him with no chance to escape.

He perished in the inferno, unable to outrun the deadly blaze, the officer explained.

The flames raged, reducing both buses to ash before firefighters could extinguish it. Kushwaha confirmed that while the fire was eventually controlled, its cause remains unknown.

"A full investigation is underway," he stated, adding that the fire brigade responded promptly to the call.

Investigation Officer Nripendra Singh said that a mosquito repellent coil might have been the trigger, though the officer emphasised that no evidence of foul play had been found.

The two buses of private operators were parked side by side when the blaze erupted, spreading rapidly to its neighbour.

Witnesses and Zahid recalled that on Monday evening, the three colleagues had consumed alcohol after Harish completed washing the bus.

The group shared dinner at 11 p.m. before settling down to sleep. By 8.30 p.m., the bus had arrived from Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, and was preparing for its next journey.

"We have sent the victim's body for post-mortem and further investigations are on," the investigation officer said.

MP: Bus cleaner burnt alive in fire