Private bus gutted in fire near Ranjangaon; 27 passengers escape unhurt

A private bus caught fire on Pune-Ahilyanagar Road, but all 27 passengers escaped safely thanks to the driver. The cause is under investigation.

A potential tragedy was averted on the Pune–Ahilyanagar Road near Ranjangaon after a private passenger bus caught fire. All passengers managed to escape safely due to the prompt action of the driver and his assistant, said police.

The incident occurred around 5.30 pm on Friday. (HT PHOTO)

The incident occurred around 5.30 pm on Friday. The bus, belonging to a private travel company, was travelling from Pune to Nagpur with 27 passengers on board.

Police have registered a case of accidental fire at Ranjangaon MIDC police station on Saturday.

Manoj Shamkant Upadhye, 42, a resident of Takli Pension Nagar in Nagpur and driver of the said bus, told police that he had started the journey from Sangamwadi Travels Bus Stop towards Nagpur. While the bus was passing through Ranjangaon, he noticed smoke coming from the front bonnet of the vehicle.

Sensing danger, Upadhye immediately stopped the bus on the roadside and asked his assistant, Sukumar Mishra, to open the emergency door. All passengers were quickly evacuated from the bus and brought to safety.

Soon after the passengers got out, the fire spread rapidly and engulfed the vehicle. Some luggage left inside the bus was destroyed, said police.

The driver alerted the fire brigade, which rushed to the spot and managed to extinguish the flames. As a safety measure, traffic on the highway was temporarily halted, causing congestion before normal movement was restored.

Upon receiving information, police officers, including Mahadev Waghmode, police inspector at Ranjangaon MIDC police station and the traffic department, reached the spot and assisted the fire brigade in controlling the fire.

Police said the exact cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed, though an electrical or mechanical fault is suspected.