17 children escape narrowly as school bus catches fire in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer

Police said the bus driver immediately stopped the bus and evacuated all the children safely before the flames engulfed the vehicle and burnt it completely

Seventeen children had a narrow escape on Tuesday after the school bus they were travelling in caught fire near Dhauwa village in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer. Police said the bus driver immediately stopped the bus and evacuated all the children safely before the flames engulfed the vehicle and burnt it completely. No one was injured. Bags, books and other belongings kept inside the bus were destroyed.

Preliminary probe suggested that a short circuit may have caused the fire.

Police said three fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Preliminary investigation suggested that a short circuit in the bus wiring may have caused the fire.

Mahendra Kumar Sirvi, a local police officer, said the bus was carrying children from Pithla village to a private school, around 12 km away. When the bus reached near Dhauwa, its front wheel suddenly hit a pothole. A short circuit reportedly followed, after which smoke began emerging from the engine and the bus caught fire. Locals rushed to the spot and helped move the children to a safe distance from the burning bus.

On October 14 last year, a private sleeper bus travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur caught fire, leaving 19 passengers dead on the spot. One more person died while being taken to Jodhpur. The death toll later rose to 26, with the remaining victims succumbing to their injuries during treatment. The tragedy raised concerns over fire safety and emergency preparedness in buses.