Bus catches fire near Odisha-Andhra border

Malkangiri: As many as 35 passengers narrowly escaped from a dangerous situation after a private bus travelling from Bhubaneswar to Malkangiri caught fire in the early hours of Saturday. The fire erupted in the bus near Rambhadrapuram in Andhra Pradesh, close to the Odisha border.

The incident occurred at around 3:00 AM when the bus heading from Bhubaneswar to Malkangiri suddenly caught fire near Rambhadrapuram.

According to sources, the fire was caused due to a suspected short circuit. The flame spread around the vehicle in minutes, triggering panic among passengers, who fled from the bus as soon as possible to avoid being caught in the blaze.

Malkangiri MLA Mangu Khila was also among the passengers. Thankfully, all 35 passengers, including the legislator, were safely evacuated without any injuries.

The prompt response of the driver and the alertness of passengers helped avert a major tragedy.

Fire services personnel and local authorities reached the spot and brought the fire under control. However, the bus was completely gutted in the blaze.

All the passengers were later arranged to travel in an alternative bus to their destination. Investigation is underway.