Sleeper Coach Bus Catches Fire In MP, Driver Manages To Evacuate All Passengers
Mumbai: A sleeper bus traveling from Mumbai to Indore caught fire near the Balasamud check post, 15 kilometers from Sendhwa in Barwani district, on Sunday morning around 10 am. The terrifying incident unfolded with 40 passengers onboard, but quick action by the driver ensured that all escaped unscathed.
The fire reportedly originated from the bus’s disc brake and rapidly spread, engulfing the entire vehicle in flames. Witnesses described scenes of panic as passengers scrambled to evacuate, leaving behind personal belongings that were lost in the blaze.
#WATCH | Sendhwa, MP: Narrow Escape For 40 Passengers As Sleeper Bus Catches Fire On Mumbai-Agra National Highway#MPNews #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/4aIzMIpfxN
— Free Press Madhya Pradesh (@FreePressMP) December 22, 2024
Nangalwadi Police Station in-charge, Madhav Singh Thakur, confirmed that there were no casualties, although the bus was completely destroyed. Emergency services, including three fire brigades from Sendhwa and Rajpur, responded promptly, taking approximately half an hour to bring the fire under control.
During the firefighting operations, traffic on one side of the Mumbai-Agra National Highway was temporarily halted, causing significant delays for other travelers.
Passengers revealed that the bus, which departed Mumbai at 5 pm on Saturday, was already running three hours behind schedule. Some also reported prior issues with the brakes, which the driver had allegedly overlooked before the incident.
The driver’s swift decision to stop the bus and evacuate passengers likely prevented a major tragedy. Police later arrived at the scene to manage the situation, clear congestion, and redirect traffic, which resumed after an hour.
This incident serves as a grim reminder of the importance of vehicle maintenance and safety checks, especially for long-distance travel.
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