Thanks to the alert driver, as many as 32 passengers of the Rayachoti-bound APSRTC bus had a miraculous escape when it caught fire due to short-circuit on the Bhakarapeta ghat section, 25 km from Tirupati, on Saturday.
The bus which belongs to Rayachoti depot was on its downward journey from Tirupati. Around 2 p.m., the driver noticed smoke billowing out from engine under the bonnet, and all of a sudden sparks emanated from beneath. In spite of the steep slope, the driver brought the vehicle to a halt, cautioning the passengers to get down and guiding them to do the act without panic.
The passengers and bus crew tried in vain to control the flames.
Bus partially gutted
The fire station personnel from Piler, led by local officer Jhilani Khan, rushed to the spot and doused the fire. However, the bus was partially gutted. It resulted in a traffic jam for an hour on the ghat section between Madanapalle and Tirupati. The stranded passengers were accommodated on the route buses. Senior RTC officials from Tirupati and Bhakarapet police visited the spot.
