: It was a narrow escape for three dozen schoolgirls on Wednesday afternoon when the bus ferrying them caught fire in outer Delhi’s Nangloi.
Returning after rehearsal
Enrolled with a government school in the area, the 35 girls were returning after rehearsing for the Republic Day programme at north Delhi’s Chhatrasal stadium, said Rishi Pal, DCP (Outer).
Driver Kartar Singh said that he noticed smoke emanating from the engine of the white chartered bus around 1 p.m. “I immediately stopped the bus along the roadside,” he said.
Fire tenders delayed
The fire department and the police were then called in. The fire brigade, however, was delayed because of a traffic jam that built up due to people stopping near the spot.
It was the locals and passers-by who, along with the driver and helper, rescued the girls. This turned out to be quite challenging as the rear gate of the bus was locked.
Manoj, an eyewitness, said he was among those who helped the girls escape. “We evacuated them before smoke could fill up the bus cabin,” he said. Manoj and several others then took to dousing the fire. Some of them collected sand and threw it at the flaming bus, while others brought buckets of water.
Bus gutted
This, however, did little to control the blaze that left the bus gutted in a few minutes. By the time the fire tenders arrived, there was little that could be done to save the vehicle.
The police said that none of the girls were injured. No case has been registered, the DCP added.
