Aligarh (UP), May 21 (PTI) Sixty passengers on a bus here had a narrow escape on Wednesday morning when the engine caught fire, spreading rapidly to the rest of the vehicle, leaving it completely gutted within minutes. Many people were forced to smash window panes and jump out to be safe after the bus caught fire near the Mathura bypass road on the outskirts of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, police said.
No casualties reported in the incident.
Police reported that the bus was going towards Haryana from Kanpur when the engine caught fire.
According to several passengers, they observed sparks in the engine and urgently asked the driver to stop the bus. Passengers then rapidly evacuated the vehicle, with many breaking window panes and jumping out to be out of danger.
The bus and all the passenger luggage in it was completely destroyed, before two fire trucks arrived and brought the blaze under control, leaving behind only the charred remains of the vehicle.
Passengers recounted that the gearbox had developed a snag, leading to initial sparks. Despite protests from some passengers, the driver allegedly continued to operate the vehicle at high speed. It was only when the situation became critical that passengers forced him to stop.
Immediately after the bus halted, the driver and conductor reportedly jumped off and fled the scene, abandoning the passengers.
As per police sources, when bystanders raised an alarm, a police patrol quickly responded, followed by two fire tenders. Police are now searching for the absconding driver and conductor.