Private bus hits two-wheeler, catches fire

A city private bus was gutted in fire after it reportedly plowed and dragged a two-wheeler in an accident, near Hampankatta signal in Mangaluru on Friday.

The two-wheeler rider has suffered injuries and is admitted to a hospital for treatment. While the bus seats have been damaged in the fire. The friction of the motorcycle's petrol tank reportedly caused the fire, said City Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar quoting an eyewitness.

The police are yet to verify the CCTV footage to know exactly what had happened and how the mishap occurred. There is no mischief or enmity involved in it, the Commissioner clarified.

The injured two-wheeler rider has been identified as Nylone (26), a resident of Ballalbagh and was working in the office of a chartered accountant in Valencia.

The two-wheeler and the bus caught fire as the bus dragged the motorcycle for a few metres before coming to halt soon after the Hamapnkatta signal. There were 28 to 30 passengers on board the bus which was plying from Gurpura- Kaikamba to the State Bank area in Mangaluru. On noticing the fire, all the passengers came out of the bus and nobody was hurt. The fire service personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire.