Over two dozen passengers escape unhurt as bus catches fire in UP's Jhansi

More than two dozen passengers had a narrow escape after a private bus travelling from Kanpur to Ratlam caught fire, allegedly due to a short circuit in Jhansi in the early hours of Monday, officials said.

While all passengers managed to get off the bus safely in time, their luggage was completely destroyed in the blaze, they said.

The incident occurred around 2 am on Shivpuri Road near Nandanpura in the Sipri Bazar area when the bus, carrying over two dozen passengers, was travelling from Kanpur to Ratlam and Ujjain.

According to bus staff member Anand Bhadauria, the bus lights suddenly went off after the vehicle jolted over a speed breaker. When the staff stopped to inspect the problem, smoke was seen coming from near the battery section.

Realising the danger, passengers were immediately evacuated from the bus, he said.

Within moments, the vehicle caught fire and was engulfed in flames, officials said, adding that the timely evacuation prevented any casualties.

District Fire Officer Raj Kishore Rai said fire brigade teams from the city and Sipri reached the spot after receiving information about the incident around 2.10 am and brought the blaze under control within nearly half an hour.

''All passengers are safe. Prima facie, the fire appears to have been caused by a short circuit in the bus wiring. The matter is being investigated,'' he said.

Rai also appealed to bus operators to ensure that both front and rear emergency exits in passenger buses remain functional to prevent loss of life during emergencies.

He said many passenger buses nowadays operate with only the front door functional, which can lead to panic and stampede-like situations during accidents.

''If both doors remain operational, passengers can evacuate quickly during emergencies,'' he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)