Twenty eight passengers on board a bus travelling to Araku in Andhra Pradesh, had a narrow escape after the vehicle caught fire on Tuesday morning.
The passengers detected smoke in the cabin, and immediately rushed out, following which the bus went up in the flames.
The Times of India reported that the semi-luxury tourist bus (AP-16 TH-3879) had moved around four kilometres on the S Kota-Araku route, after having breakfast near Thatipudi reservoir, when smoke started coming out of the engine.
"We suspect that a power short-circuits might have caused the fire. A case has been registered and the investigation is on," S Kota police officials were quoted as saying.
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In August this year, the timely action of a conductor to abandon a CNG bus in Vijayawada, saved the lives of 70 passengers from a fire accident.
The incident took place near Siddhartha Medical College in Vijayawada when the state-run city bus was plying between Autonagar and Railway station.
The bus had halted at the Siddharatha Medical College and had barely moved a few metres when the conductor, identified as Akula Venkateshwarlu, smelt gas.
Relying on his instinct, he immediately stopped the bus and asked the conductor and passengers to evacuate the bus at once.
It caught fire within the next five minutes.
In April, a passenger bus travelling from Hyderabad caught fire in the early hours near Tallapalem junction.
All passengers escaped unhurt, and also managed to retrieve their luggage.
According to reports, the bus belonged to Kaveri Travels and had around 40 passengers on board.
As people were getting ready to get down at Anakapalle, the bus stopped on one side of the road, and the conductor asked all of them to get down, as they had noticed smoke coming from the engine.
Earlier this year, Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister K Atchannaidu said that the state government would wage a “war against road accidents.”
In the same address, Home Minister N Chinarajappa said that more than 3,000 people were killed in road accidents every year in the state and roughly 30,000 people suffer injuries.