A fire broke out on a moving bus on Monday afternoon on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway near Chotila, just four days after a deadly highway collision near Sangani village claimed four lives.
Incident Details
The fire occurred between 4 and 4:30 pm, approximately 8.6 km from Chotila. The private bus was traveling from Somnath to Ahmedabad with 28 passengers on board.
Driver's Account
Bus driver Raju Odedra stated that he noticed a smell of something burning and immediately stopped the vehicle. Upon inspecting the bus with the helper, he discovered that a fire had started in the undercarriage.
Evacuation and Response
Passengers were evacuated immediately through the front door and the front and rear emergency exits. The bus crew attempted to control the flames with the onboard fire extinguisher, but the fire spread rapidly. The fire brigade was alerted and arrived promptly, eventually extinguishing the blaze. No casualties were reported.
Aftermath
Senior police officers visited the scene as the fire caused temporary traffic congestion on the highway. Police later cleared the route and restored traffic movement.
Recent Accident Context
This incident comes just days after an accident on May 14 near Sangani village on the same highway, where a private bus hit a bitumen tanker, killing four people: a couple, the bus driver, and his helper.
