Narrow escape for 36 as bus catches fire

Nalgonda: Around 36 passengers had a narrow escape after a private travel bus travelling from Hyderabad to Kakinada caught fire in the early hours of Saturday in Nalgonda district.

The incident occurred at around 5.30 am near Peddakaparthi village in Chityala mandal when flames suddenly erupted from the bus while it was en route to Andhra Pradesh. Alerted by smoke and the fire, the driver and cleaner acted swiftly and evacuated all 36 passengers from the vehicle.

Within minutes, the fire spread rapidly and engulfed the entire bus. A fire tender from the local fire station rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. No injuries were reported in the incident.

“Preliminary investigations suggest that a short circuit may have triggered the fire, though the exact cause is yet to be confirmed. The bus was completely gutted, causing an estimated loss of about ₹36 lakh, as informed by the vehicle owner,” said a fire official.

Fire department officials have launched an inquiry into the incident.