Bus catches fire: Schoolchildren escape unhurt

About 50 schoolchildren escaped unhurt after an accidental fire was noticed in the school bus in which they were travelling in, at Maddinakoppa on Balehole-Basarikatte route in Kalasa, on Monday.

The bus was ferrying children of Sadguru School, Basarikatte. When the bus reached Maddinakoppa, sparks and smoke was noticed on the bus.

Schoolchildren who were on board said, "Once the driver noticed the smoke, he jumped off the bus. Later, the bus moved backwards and came to a halt after hitting a bus shelter."

When the fire began spreading, the children inside the bus raised an alarm. The staff and passengers of a Sahakara Sarige bus which was heading to Kalasa noticed the fire and doused it with the help of local residents. The schoolchildren, however, lost their bags and books in the fire.

An eye witness said, "Had the bus not hit a bus shelter, it would have fallen into a gorge."

Parents alleged that lack of maintenance of the bus led to the incident.