Private sleeper coach bus catches fire; lucky escape for 29 passengers

Twenty-nine passengers of a private sleeper coach bus had a miraculous escape, after it caught fire near Veliminedu of Chityal mandal in Nalgonda district, nearly 70 km from here, around 1.30 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Vihari Travels bus started from Hyderabad on Monday night and was heading towards Kandukuru in Nellore of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, when the driver noticed sparks emanating from the engine, Nalgonda DSP K. Shivarami Reddy said.

The driver, Krishna, immediately stopped the bus and evacuated the passengers with the help of the second driver. While all the passengers escaped without sustaining injuries, the bus was completely gutted as the blaze that started from the engine side engulfed it in a few minutes.

“The bus had two emergency exits, one on the rear and another on the right (driver’s side). This made evacuation of passengers easier, though amid tense moments,” Nalgonda Deputy Transport Commissioner N. Vani said.

After multiple inspections, Transport department officials surmised that the fire could be due to a short-circuit. “However, we are awaiting the Fire Service department’s findings, to ascertain the cause of fire,” she said.

The bus halted at Choutuppal for tea break. Veliminedu, the place where the bus caught fire, is 15 km away from Choutuppal. The driver and passengers were alert, having taken a break a few minutes ago, the DTC said. They opened the two emergency doors and ensured all the passengers got off safely.

Based on the information given by the travel agency supervisor, the Chityal police registered a case of fire accident. They are awaiting the report of the Fire Service officials and the Transport department to assess the fitness of the bus and cause of fire before taking a call on further investigation.

This is the third major bus accident (two private and one of TGSRTC) in Telangana and AP, in less than three weeks. While 19 persons were charred to death after a private sleeper coach bus caught fire near Kurnool on October 24, 19 died after a gravel-laden truck rammed an oncoming TGSRTC bus near Chevella on November 3.