Alert Driver Saves Passengers’ Lives After Bus Catches Fire in Chityal

Such was the presence of mind of the driver Nagaraju that after noticing thick smoke below the gear box adjacent to his seat, he carefully stopped on the roadside on the highway around 1.45 am and opened two emergency doors.

He raised an alarm asking the passengers, who were fast asleep, to get down from the emergency doors even as the flames started spreading inside the vehicle rapidly. Luckily, all the passengers managed to escape unhurt with their backpacks.

Even before the passengers come out of shock, the flames engulfed the bus and within minutes the vehicle gutted completely. The incident occurred when the bus was heading to Kakinada from Kukatpally.

Ramanapet Station Fire Officer Ramavath Beeko, who took part in the fire-fighting operation, told Deccan Chronicle, that the entire bus was caught in flames by the time they reached the spot. However, the fire-fighters managed to control flames within half an hour.

He said the driver’s presence of mind helped in rescuing the passengers safely. Though it was a 40-seat bus, 36 passengers were travelling in it. He said loose electrical wire connection near the engine could have led to the sparks initially and subsequently turning into a major fire.

Bus Owner Nalla Nagaraju said the bus started its journey from Kukatpally with two drivers. When it reached Peddakaparthy village, the driver Nagaraju noticed thick smoke below the gear box.

Sensing something dangerous, he along with another driver stopped the bus and opened the emergency door asking passengers to get down. Using hand-held fire extinguishers, the drivers tried to douse the flames but it was in vain as the intensity of the fire was high.

“The lives of passengers were saved by God’s grace,” the owner said.