A major accident was narrowly avoided in Karnataka after a private sleeper bus from Bengaluru to Sagar caught fire near Mumbalu village near Anandapura in Shivamogga district. The Bengaluru-Honnavar National Highway (NH-206) vehicle was immediately engulfed in flames following a suspected electrical short circuit.
According to the initial report, the private sleeper coach was in Bengaluru to Sagar on its way early in the morning when smoke was detected from the seat of the bus to passengers. Within seconds, flames spread fast through the bus, causing panic amongst the passengers who were in the bus.
Fortunately, the driver and cleaner acted quickly when they realized the fire was coming. They stopped the vehicle and evacuated passengers immediately. Their quick response helped to get everyone on board to safety before it spread to the rest of the vehicle. No injuries or fatalities were reported due to the incident.
Most passengers had already left Shivamogga before the bus was heading towards Sagar, police said. Only two people were in the bus when it caught fire. The authorities are convinced that it could have been far worse had the bus been full of people at the time of the fire, they say. Emergency preparedness and quick decision-making by transport staff during road emergencies is needed because of the need for emergency response to act quickly in the event of a serious accident.
Witnesses reported seeing thick black smoke rising from the bus as the fire spread so rapidly. Residents and drivers driving by the scene had heard about the incident and rushed to the area to help.
Fire and Emergency Services personnel worked to extinguish the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to nearby vegetation or vehicles on the highway. The blaze was eventually contained after a long time. But by that time the bus had been severely damaged and virtually destroyed.
A short circuit in the electrical system may have triggered the fire, they believe. A technical inspection will be needed to determine the cause of the fire, officials said. Mechanical failures, wiring problems, or overheating electrical components are likely to be considered as part of the investigation.
The incident also caused a temporary disruption to traffic on the Bengaluru-Honnavar highway during firefighting, and the damaged vehicle was removed from the road as emergency teams worked on clearing the road. Traffic was later restored and resumed after authorities assured the area was safe for commuters.
Anandapura Police Station personnel, including PSI Praveen, visited the location and conducted an inspection. Police have started gathering information from the bus crew and witnesses to establish the sequence of events leading to the fire. A report will be prepared after the preliminary investigation.
Though no lives were lost, it was a warning to the public of the risk of vehicle fires and the necessity to keep public transport vehicles in good order. The driver and cleaner are being credited with preventing a potentially catastrophic accident.
Police will continue to investigate and could offer advice to transport operators on vehicle safety checks and fire prevention measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
