Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Sleeping deathtraps: On the Kurnool sleeper bus fire

Sleeping deathtraps: On the Kurnool sleeper bus fire

Modifications at body shops make sleeper buses vulnerable (असुरक्षित, संवेदनशील)

The accident in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, in the early hours of October 24, 2025, involving a “luxury” bus from Hyderabad to Bengaluru with 46 passengers, was one that mirrored (reflect, repeat, match, reproduce, imitate) previous such tragedies. It was apparently (जाहिर तौर पर) triggered (प्रेरित करना) by a fuel leak after the bus collided (conflict, be in opposition, clash) with a bike that had been knocked to the ground earlier in a hit-and-run (relating to a road accident in which the driver who caused it drives away without stopping or giving help) incident. The accident claimed (दावा) 20 lives including the bike rider; the survivors barely (मुश्किल से, केवल) managed to escape through broken windows. Some 10 days earlier, 20 people were burnt alive when an air-conditioned bus from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur, with 57 passengers, caught fire. There have been several eerily (अजीब ढंग से, भयावह रूप से) similar fires such as in 2023, on a Nagpur-Mumbai bus.

Typically, most of these buses carry the names of well-known (famous; familiar to many people) brands but the fact is that only the engine and the chassis (the base frame of a vehicle on which the body and other parts are built) are purchased from these OEMs. The chassis is then made into a full bus in body-building shops. While there is a case (an instance, example, or situation; a particular occurrence) that increasingly (more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more) advanced electronics, electrical and the air-conditioning systems used carry the risk of electric fires, rigorous (कठोर, सख्त) safety standards are typically followed while designing and installing these systems. But what is not rigorous is body installation and modifications made at the body shops. The Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) developed by the Road Transport Ministry do lay down (formulate, stipulate, set down, frame, draw up) the structural and fire safety requirements for bodies as well, but these are seldom (कभी-कभी) followed. Often, the body is made of poor quality composite material (मिश्रित पदार्थ, संयोजित सामग्री) that is highly inflammable (ज्वलनशील). There is hardly (मुश्किल से, लगभग नहीं) any crash testing (दुर्घटना परीक्षण). At the body shop, unsafe modifications are sometimes made such as installing an extra fuel tank. The sleeper arrangements on board (in a vehicle) restrict passenger movement. Soft, highly inflammable materials are used for curtains and other barricades (अवरोध, रुकावट). Recent regulations (rule, ruling, order, directive) specify that there must be four exits on such buses — two main doors and two collapsible windows — with no seat or sleeper obstructing them. But these do not apply to the existing fleet (a number of vehicles/flights/ships working together (under a single ownership)). The drivers are often not trained to handle emergencies. It would enhance (increase, intensify, strengthen, heighten, boost, upgrade, augment) safety to mandate that the emergency exit arrangements are explained to passengers as they are on a flight. Crash testing of the entire bus assembly must be mandated (make mandatory/necessary; require) to enhance safety during collisions (crash, accident, clash / conflict, clash). Though current (present, existing) standards mandate fire detection and safety systems that would detect and give audible (able to be heard, hearable, clear, loud) and visual warnings in a fire followed by the activation of firefighting devices, these are seldom followed at the body shops. What is needed is a more comprehensive (all-inclusive, broad-based; all-embracing, complete, thorough) AIS that takes into account risks in sleeper buses followed by strict implementation (execution, application, carrying out / enforcement, imposition) and regular monitoring.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.trap (noun)

Hindi Meaning - फँदा, जाल
English Meaning - unescapable & very bad situation.

2.deathtrap (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जानलेवा स्थान
English Meaning - a structure (building/vehicle), place, or situation that is very dangerous and could cause death.

3.vulnerable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असुरक्षित, संवेदनशील
English Meaning - weak, unsafe, endangered, unshielded.

4.apparently (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - जाहिर तौर पर
English Meaning - seemingly, outwardly, allegedly, supposedly, ostensibly, at first glance.

5.trigger (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रेरित करना
English Meaning - cause, bring about, lead to, give rise to, prompt, spark off.

6.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा
English Meaning - (of a disaster, accident, disease, etc.) to take someone’s life; to cause someone’s death.

7.barely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - मुश्किल से, केवल
English Meaning - hardly; only just; almost not.

8.eerily (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - अजीब ढंग से, भयावह रूप से
English Meaning - peculiarly, oddly, in a strange and frightening way.

9.barricade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अवरोध, रुकावट
English Meaning - barrier, blockade.

10.rigorous (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कठोर, सख्त
English Meaning - strict, stern, severe, harsh, stringent.

11.seldom (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कभी-कभी
English Meaning - hardly, rarely, almost never.

12.composite material (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मिश्रित पदार्थ, संयोजित सामग्री
English Meaning - a combination of two materials with different physical and chemical properties.

13.inflammable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - ज्वलनशील
English Meaning - flammable, burnable, combustible.

14.hardly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - मुश्किल से, लगभग नहीं
English Meaning - barely, only just, narrowly, slightly / almost not.

15.crash testing (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दुर्घटना परीक्षण
English Meaning - a form of destructive testing that evaluates a vehicle’s ability to protect its occupants and other road users in a collision. These tests are conducted under controlled, scientific conditions and are crucial for improving vehicle safety standards and validating designs before they are sold to consumers.

16.increasingly (adverb)

English Meaning - more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more.

17.mirror (verb)

English Meaning - reflect, repeat, match, reproduce, imitate.

18.collide (verb)

English Meaning - conflict, be in opposition, clash.

19.hit-and-run (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a road accident in which the driver who caused it drives away without stopping or giving help.

20.catch fire (phrase)

English Meaning - to begin to burn; to start burning.

21.well-known (adjective)

English Meaning - famous; familiar to many people.

22.chassis (noun)

English Meaning - the base frame of a vehicle on which the body and other parts are built.

23.OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) (noun)

English Meaning - a company that makes parts or equipment used in another company’s end product.

24.case (noun)

English Meaning - an instance, example, or situation; a particular occurrence.

25.Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) (noun)

English Meaning - Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) are a set of technical specifications and regulations for the automotive sector in India. These standards are based on the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, and align with global best practices. The primary purpose of AIS is to improve road safety and ensure the quality, performance, and environmental compliance of vehicles and their components sold in the Indian market.

26.lay down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - formulate, stipulate, set down, frame, draw up.

27.on board (phrase)

English Meaning - in a vehicle.

28.regulation (noun)

English Meaning - rule, ruling, order, directive.

29.fleet (noun)

English Meaning - a number of vehicles/flights/ships working together (under a single ownership).

30.enhance (verb)

English Meaning - increase, intensify, strengthen, heighten, boost, upgrade, augment

31.mandate (verb)

English Meaning - make mandatory/necessary; require.