A moving bus going from Gurugram to Panna caught fire in Gwalior. Due to the presence of mind of the driver, all 45 passengers were evacuated safely, due to which a major accident was averted. It burnt to ashes in just a few minutes.
Gwalior: A moving bus caught fire in Gwalior. A bus carrying 45 passengers from Gurugram to Panna in Madhya Pradesh caught fire on the Mumbai Highway in Gwalior late on Monday night. A major accident was averted due to the wisdom of the passengers and the driver. Video The coach bus with registration number UP93 CT-6747 was burnt to ashes within minutes. Police officials said that the incident took place at midnight on Monday, when the bus was crossing the Morena district border and entering Gwalior. At that time most of the passengers including women and children were sleeping.
While the bus was passing through the dark Cantonment Road, a passenger saw sparks coming from the rear tire or some electrical wire. Experienced driver Anil Sharma showed amazing composure even in this dangerous situation. They stopped the bus on the roadside just 200 meters before the petrol pump. If the fire had spread, it could have been a huge tragedy.
Anil Sharma told reporters on the spot, ‘We had just a few moments.’ I shouted and asked everyone to get out through the back door. Amidst the chaos, passengers picked up their handbags, shawls and a few suitcases and jumped out into the cold night. The children were crying, but their parents controlled them. Everyone was taken out within two minutes. He said that the fire spread very quickly after the passengers disembarked.
It is believed that the fire started due to short circuit in the electrical system or wiring of the vehicle. The fire was so severe that seats melted and windows were broken. Within 20 minutes, only smoke and the twisted metal structure of the bus was left. Police officials said that goods worth thousands of rupees, including clothes and electronic goods, were destroyed in the fire. Local police and fire brigade vehicles from Purani Chhawni station reached the spot within 10 minutes. But the fire spread so fast that it took more than an hour for the fire brigade to extinguish it. He stopped the fire from spreading to nearby dhabas.