MATHURA: Around 40 passengers escaped unharmed after a bus caught fire on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district early Saturday. The blaze is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit in the vehicle’s wiring.
The incident took place near the Raya Cut bridge in the Raya police station area. The bus was travelling from Delhi’s Kashmere Gate to Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh when the fire broke out.
The driver stopped the vehicle after noticing the fire, allowing all passengers to get out safely. The flames spread rapidly and engulfed the bus, destroying passengers’ belongings. No casualties were reported.
Police received information about the incident at around 1.38 am and alerted the fire department. Firefighters took nearly one-and-a-half hours to bring the blaze under control.
The passengers were later moved to another bus to continue their journey, according to reports.
The incident has once again drawn attention to passenger safety and the need for regular checks of buses operating on highways.
(With inputs from media reports)