Bus catches fire near Butibori after tyre bursts, driver's alertness averts tragedy

A major tragedy was averted near Borkhedi in Butibori area of Nagpur district on Friday night after a passenger bus travelling from Hyderabad to Nagpur caught fire. Thanks to the driver's presence of mind, all passengers got off safely in time.

The incident occurred when the bus was on the national highway near Borkhedi, about ten kilometres from Butibori. The bus, headed to Nagpur from Hyderabad, ran into sudden trouble when its rear tyre burst. Smoke soon began billowing from the rear of the bus, and within moments the smoke turned into flames.

On spotting the smoke, the driver suspected the bus had caught fire. Without any delay, he immediately stopped the bus by the roadside and asked all passengers to get down at once.

Panic spread among passengers as the bus stopped, but the driver's alertness ensured everyone got out in time. Soon after the passengers were safely out, the fire began spreading rapidly.

Flames rising from the rear of the bus soon engulfed the entire vehicle. The fire was so intense that flames leapt to a considerable height, and the bus was completely gutted within a short time.

The burning bus, parked by the roadside, also affected traffic on the national highway. The high flames and the crowd that gathered at the spot caused a long queue of vehicles for some time.

The authorities concerned were informed about the incident, and necessary action was taken to bring the fire under control and restore traffic.

According to initial assessment, the bursting of the rear tyre is believed to be the probable cause of the fire. However, the exact cause of how the fire broke out after the tyre burst and spread so rapidly through the bus will be clear only after an investigation.

Fortunately, the driver recognised the danger in time, stopped the bus and got all passengers out, saving their lives and averting a major tragedy.