Hyderabad-bound bus from Nagpur catches fire, passengers escape unhurt

Apart from two drivers and a cleaner, 26 passengers were on the bus at the time of the incident. The SHO said the bus driver noticed smoke in the engine chamber soon after the bus crossed the Ganjal toll plaza. He stopped the bus on the side, got down to inspect the engine, and found sparks in the wiring. “He along with another driver and the cleaner of the bus quickly alerted all passengers who were sleeping. They were deboarded along with their luggage in the next 15 to 20 minutes by which the bus was engulfed in flames,” he told indianexpress.com.

While the bus driver has blamed “some mechanical defects”, the police said a detailed inspection by authorities will reveal the facts. According to the police, the Nagpur-based Puja travels operates five to six AC sleeper coach buses on the Nagpur-Hyderabad route every day.

A loss of about Rs 20 lakh has been estimated. “Due to the alertness of the drivers and cleaner, no passenger was injured. They proceeded towards Hyderabad on another bus of the same travel company,” he added.

The bus was fully gutted and videos taken by passengers are being shared widely on social media.