Narrow escape for 60 passengers as fire guts BMTC bus

Bengaluru: About 60 passengers narrowly escaped before a fire destroyed a BMTC bus at the HAL bus stop in eastern Bengaluru early Monday morning, officials said.

The bus (KA 57 F 4568) — operating between Majestic and Kadugodi on the KBS–1K/3 night service route — caught fire in the engine compartment around 5.10 am, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) said in a statement.

The bus driver, Jayachandra, and the conductor, Chowdappa, showed presence of mind by ensuring that 50–60 passengers were safely evacuated and sent onward by another bus. There was no injury or loss of life, it added.

The bus crew informed the Fire and Emergency Services. Fire personnel arrived at the spot and extinguished the flames, but the bus was completely gutted. The bus belonged to Depot 51 (Sadaramangala), the BMTC said.

A technical team led by the Chief Mechanical Engineer has launched an inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of the incident, it added.

Stating that passenger safety is of the highest priority, the BMTC said all necessary technical measures would be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur.