A luxury bus on its way from Mumbai to Malvan caught fire near Kashedi Ghat in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri on Sunday, officials said.
The incident took place at around 2 am while the bus was passing through
the Kashedi tunnel area.
There were around 40 to 45 passengers on board when one of the tyres of the bus overheated and caught fire. Before the blaze spread to the entire vehicle, the driver noticed the fire in time and immediately alerted the passengers.
They managed to evacuate the passengers before the bus was completely gutted, therefore averting a major tragedy.
No passenger was injured in the incident. Their belongings were destroyed in the fire.
The cops halted the traffic on both sides of the highway, Times of India reported.
The fire brigade from Khed Municipal Council rushed to the spot and doused the blaze by 3 am. Alternative vehicles were also arranged for the passengers for their onward journey, Loksatta reported.
Vehicular movements were later resumed on the route.
A case was registered at the Poladpur police station and an investigation into the incident was launched, officials said.
A similar incident took place in April last year, when a private luxury bus en route from Mumbai to Kolhapur caught fire near the Ozarde Bridge on the Pune–Mumbai Expressway.
All 36 passengers on board, including women and children, were evacuated safely. The driver had noticed smoke from the rear tyre and acted quickly, stopping the vehicle, evacuating everyone, and alerting authorities.
