Quick thinking by a BMTC bus driver put nearly 40 passengers out of harm’s way after the bus caught on fire on Friday.
Around 9.40 a.m., when the vehicle was in the outskirts of Tyavanakare, its driver N. Nagesh (38) noticed smoke billowing out of the engine. He stopped the bus and directed the passengers to disembark.
Minutes after the passengers made their way to safety, flames engulfed the entire bus. Fire and emergency service personnel along with the police managed to put out the blaze only by 11 a.m. The entire bus was charred.
The BMTC bus was headed to Sarjapura from Attibele. A preliminary probe revealed that the accident was due to an electric short circuit, but the exact reason can only be ascertained after detailed inspection by experts, a senior police official said.
Meanwhile, BMTC officials have sought a report from the manufacturer of the bus on the reason for the accident. “The bus was relatively new and had only travelled 2 lakh kilometres (the average lifespan of the bus is 7.5 lakh kilometres). It was in good condition and had not seen any repairs in the past four months. We have asked for a report to ascertain how the fire could have started,” said Ramesh M., Divisional Controller (East Division).
