State transport bus catches fire on Mumbai-Goa highway, 59 on-board escape unhurt

An MSRTC spokesperson said, “The fire occurred due to a short-circuit. On noticing fumes coming out of the bonnet, the driver tried to douse the fire with an extinguisher. The passengers were immediately evacuated.”

Fifty-nine passengers on-board a Ganpati-special Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus, travelling from Parel to Ratnagiri, had a narrow escape after it caught fire on the Mumbai-Goa highway at 6.45am on Sunday. Though the passengers were evacuated within minutes of the incident, their belongings were charred, said highway traffic officials. This led to a massive congestion on the highway for five hours.

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus caught fire at Mumbai Goa highway 59 passengers rescued unhurt in Navi Mumbai, India, on Sunday. (HT Photo)

An MSRTC spokesperson said, “The fire occurred due to a short-circuit. On noticing fumes coming out of the bonnet, the driver tried to douse the fire with an extinguisher. The passengers were immediately evacuated.”

Fire officials from the Mahad civic body rushed to the site to douse the fire and helped shift the bus to the roadside. “A special bus was sent from Mahad depot for the passengers,” the spokesperson said, adding a team of engineers are looking into the cause of the fire. Goregaon police from Raigad district have registered a case of accident.