Private Bus Catches Fire in Andhra

Passengers of a private travel bus had a narrow escape after the vehicle caught fire in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.

The accident occurred near Chandi in Valetivaripalem mandal around 1.30 a.m.

The bus, which was heading to Vijayawada from Kadapa, caught fire after one of its front tyres came off.

The alert driver immediately stopped the bus and alerted the passengers. There were 33 passengers aboard the bus, and all of them got off before the flames engulfed the vehicle.

The bus was completely gutted in the fire. A fire engine rushed to the spot and doused the fire.

Police have registered a case and taken up the investigation.

Prakasam district had witnessed a similar accident in May this year. As many as 36 passengers of a private travel bus had a narrow escape when the vehicle caught fire at Bheemavaram Adda Road in Ulavapadu mandal.

The bus was on its way to Tirupati from Hyderabad. The driver noticed smoke emanating from the engine. Showing presence of mind, he immediately stopped the bus and alerted passengers. All the passengers managed to get down from the bus before the fire engulfed the vehicle. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as all passengers deboarded.

Meanwhile, two police personnel were injured when a police vehicle overturned at Pargi in Vikarabad district of Telangana.

The driver apparently lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a road divider.

The accident occurred when police personnel were returning to Hyderabad from Kodangal, where they were part of the security arrangements made for Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

The Chief Minister’s three-day visit to his Assembly constituency, Vikarabad, concluded on Monday.

Meanwhile, three people were injured in another road accident at Nacharam near Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The accident occurred when a speeding car rammed into an auto-rickshaw. Police shifted the injured to a hospital.