KSRTC bus catches fire on NH; Passengers escape unhurt

A KSRTC bus suddenly caught fire after breaking down midway but passengers escaped unhurt on a busy national highway here on Saturday.

Timely intervention and state of mind of the driver and conductor helped the passengers to move out of the bus before the spread of the blaze and avert a massive tragedy, local people said.

The state-run bus, operating in the Attingal-Thiruvananthapuram route, broke down suddenly when it reached Chempakamangalam near here.

There were several passengers in the bus when the driver and the conductor got down to inspect and find out the snag.

''They asked all passengers to get out of the bus and later pushed the vehicle with the help of some local people to the side of the road,'' a police officer told PTI.

Then, some passers-by suddenly alerted the driver that smoke was coming from beneath the vehicle, he said.

Acting swiftly, the driver switched off the engine and asked all passengers to move to safety.

A massive fire engulfed the vehicle within no time and thick black fumes spread throughout the busy road, the officer added.

The bus was almost gutted completely in the fire, which disturbed the traffic in the busy road for some time.

Fire force personnel rushed to the spot and doused the flames later. The reason for the fire could be ascertained only after a detailed scientific examination, Fire force sources said.

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