Nine people were killed and several others injured after a sleeper tourist bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida on Thursday, according to reports.

The bus was travelling from Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh when the fire broke out. It was carrying around 30 to 35 passengers at the time of the incident.

Bus catches fire on Yamuna Expressway

The incident took place near Dayanatpur village on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida. The blaze engulfed the sleeper bus, prompting passengers to try to escape as the fire spread.

Several passengers reportedly jumped through the windows to get out of the burning vehicle. Nine people died in the incident, while several others sustained injuries and were taken to hospitals for treatment.

The exact cause of the fire had not been established at the time of reporting.

Bus was travelling from Delhi to Mahoba

The sleeper bus was travelling from Delhi towards Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh and had approximately 30 to 35 passengers onboard.

The incident occurred late Wednesday night, with the fire breaking out while the bus was on the Yamuna Expressway in the Greater Noida area.

Authorities are looking into the circumstances surrounding the fire. Further details about the cause of the blaze and the injured passengers are awaited.

Biometric Aadhaar authentication will become a requirement for domestic LPG consumers seeking to book refills at the regulated retail selling price with applicable subsidy from October 1, 2026.

The government has said the measure is aimed at ensuring that subsidised LPG reaches eligible households and at preventing the diversion of subsidised domestic cylinders for commercial and industrial use.

What changes from October 1

Consumers who have already completed biometric Aadhaar authentication will not have to repeat the process. Their LPG refills will continue as before.

For consumers who have not completed the authentication, refill booking at the regulated price with subsidy will be enabled after the authentication is completed.

As of September 19, 2026, 27.43 crore active domestic LPG consumers, or 89.9 per cent of the total, had completed biometric Aadhaar authentication, according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry.

How to complete Aadhaar authentication

Consumers who have not yet completed the process can do so through several channels.

Authentication can be completed during LPG delivery, at the distributor’s showroom or through the mobile applications of the three state-owned oil marketing companies.

Indane customers can use IndianOil ONE, Bharatgas customers can use HelloBPCL, while HP Gas customers can use HP PAY.

What if consumers do not complete authentication

The government has clarified that consumers who are unwilling or unable to complete biometric Aadhaar authentication can still receive LPG.

However, they will have to register their choice through the available digital channels of their oil marketing company, such as its consumer portal, mobile app, WhatsApp chatbot or IVRS.

Such consumers will be supplied LPG at the applicable market price without subsidy, in 5-kg or 10-kg cylinders, subject to local availability.

Why the government is introducing the requirement

According to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, linking each LPG connection to an Aadhaar-authenticated consumer is intended to prevent diversion of subsidised domestic cylinders and remove duplicate or ineligible connections.

The government has also said the measure is intended to make subsidy delivery more targeted and transparent.

Authentication deadline and progress

Consumers were initially asked to complete biometric Aadhaar authentication by June 30, 2026. The deadline was subsequently extended several times, with September 14 being the final extended deadline mentioned by the ministry.

The nationwide authentication drive has been underway since October 2023. The government said more than 12 crore SMS and WhatsApp messages had been sent as part of the outreach campaign.

The government has urged consumers who have not yet completed the process to do so before October 1.

LPG Aadhaar authentication becomes mandatory for subsidised domestic LPG refills from October 1. Consumers who have already completed biometric authentication need not do it again. Those who haven’t can still get LPG, but at the applicable market price without subsidy.

The BJP has defended the Election Commission amid a political row over reported differences among Election Commissioners concerning decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

BJP MP Sambit Patra said discussions and exchanges of views within the poll panel should be seen as part of the democratic process rather than as evidence of institutional dysfunction.

According to the BJP’s position, disagreement during official deliberations reflects the fact that members of an institution are able to put forward their views before decisions are taken.

BJP defends EC deliberations

Patra said that if the three Election Commissioners discuss and debate issues among themselves, such exchanges should not be characterised as dictatorship. He described such deliberations as a sign of a healthy democracy.

The BJP’s response came amid reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over decisions and orders associated with the SIR exercise and electoral rolls.

The Election Commission has said that differences in views and observations are a normal part of deliberations within an institution. It has maintained that decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously.

Row centres on SIR process

The controversy comes against the backdrop of the ongoing political debate over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Opposition parties have raised concerns over the reported differences within the poll panel, while the BJP has sought to counter those arguments by pointing to the role of discussion and deliberation in institutional decision-making.

Patra also said the BJP’s understanding of the matter was based on media reports rather than access to the Election Commission’s internal documents. He said the documents, as reported, indicated that the SIR process was finalised after democratic deliberations and consensus.

What the Election Commission has said

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections indicate a breakdown in its functioning.

It has maintained that differing opinions during deliberations are part of normal institutional functioning and that the decisions eventually taken by the commission were unanimous.