Visakhapatnam: As many as 35 passengers traveling in a private AC bus from Bhubaneswar (Odisha) to Chennai (Tamil Nadu) had a miraculous escape when the bus caught fire and was completely gutted on NH-16 near Regupalem locality under Yelamanchili mandal in Anakapalle district on Thursday night. The incident triggered panic among passengers and commuters. Fortunately, the bus crew acted promptly, ensuring that all 35 passengers were safely evacuated from the vehicle before the flames intensified and the vehicle was gutted.
Sequence of Events
The passengers said a private bus belonging to Tulsi Travels departed from Bhubaneswar and stopped near a roadside hotel for dinner on Thursday night. After the passengers and crew finished their meal, the bus resumed its journey towards Chennai via Vizag and Anakapalle districts.
The bus driver noticed engine flares on Thursday night, immediately stopped the bus, and alerted all passengers (some were asleep), who got off. The flames engulfed the bus, and within minutes, it was destroyed.
Response and Investigation
Based on the information, the police and fire service personnel rushed there and put out the flames, but by the time they arrived, the bus was completely gutted by the fire. A few passengers lost their luggage as the bus was destroyed. The Anakapalle district police said an electrical short circuit was suspected to have caused a fire involving a bus, which disrupted vehicular traffic on the stretch for some time. The police said all the passengers on the bus escaped safely without injury after the swift response by the driver. Officials made alternative travel arrangements for the passengers to reach Chennai.
Previous Incidents
It is the fourth such incident in north Andhra Pradesh in the past few months. It may be recalled that 42 passengers and two drivers on a private travel AC semi-sleeper bus had a miraculous escape when the bus (Bhubaneswar to Malkangiri) they were traveling in was engulfed in fire after a tire burst at the outskirts of Ramabhadrapuram mandal of Vizianagaram district in the early hours on March 21.
