Narrow escape for 26 passengers as Bengaluru-bound bus catches fire

Bengaluru/Kurnool: As many as 26 passengers had a close shave with death after the private bus they were travelling in caught fire, suspectedly due to a short circuit and was reduced to ashes in no time.

The Yellow Travels sleeper bus was headed towards Bengaluru from Hyderabad when the mishap took place near Enugumarri village in Pyapili block of Kurnool district in the early hours of Thursday.

A passenger who was sleeping in the last row noticed smoke and alerted the bus driver. The bus driver immediately stopped the bus and asked all the passengers to evacuate the bus. Shortly after the passengers disembarked the bus it was completely engulfed in flames. Few of the passengers lost a fair amount of their belongings to the fire.

By the time police personnel and fire extinguisher personnel reached the spot, the bus was completely reduced to ashes.

A case was booked under section 336 of the IPC.