BENGALURU: At least 30 passengers had a narrow escape in the early hours of Friday after a private bus rammed into an electric pole and burst into flames. The A/C sleeper bus was travelling from Bengaluru to Kalaburagi around 2.30 am reportedly lost control after trying to overtake another vehicle.
The bus that belonged to Sanjana Travels left Bengaluru around 11 pm on Thursday. The incident occurred near the Indiranagar Colony at Hanumanthapura Gate on Nelamangala-Tumakuru NH48, in the stretch where the road widening work was underway.
The bus drove on to the pavement and came to a halt after crashing into the electric pole. When the bus swerved to the extreme left, all the passengers, the driver and his assistant de-boarded. A few minutes later, the bus caught fire. The police rushed to the spot, getting in touch with the BESCOM officials to disconnect the power supply. By then, the bus caught fire due to a suspected short circuit.
Initially, private water tankers in the area were used. Two fire tenders from the Fire and Emergency Services were also pressed into service. The Nelamangala Traffic police and the jurisdictional Thyamagondlu law and order police cleared the traffic.
Some passengers are said to have lost their valuables. “The complaint has been filed by a passenger from Kalaburagi identified as Shivananda. All the 30 passengers are safe and unhurt. Since the bus was resting on the electric pole, the bus caught fire due to a suspected short circuit. Luggage was completely gutted. A case has been registered against the bus driver, Manohar. No combustible materials were inside the bus,” said an officer.
A case of rash driving on a public way (BNS 281) and mischief (BNS 324) was registered against the driver.
40 SHEDS CAUGHT IN ACCIDENTAL FIRE NEAR KUDLU
Bengaluru: Around 35 to 40 makeshift sheds at an open ground near Kudlu Lake caught fire around 3 am on Friday. No casualties have been reported. The sheds were also used to store roadside scraps. It is allegedly said that some of the people who were staying in the sheds were illegal Bangladeshis.
Four firefighters from Sarjapur, Electronic City, Hulimavu and Dairy Circle were deployed for over five hours to bring it under control. The police suspect that a live high-tension that fell on the sheds which led to fire.
“The fire department received the call around 5.30 am. Most people in the sheds had gone somewhere else; only a few were seen at the spot,” said an officer. The Parappana Agrahara police have registered a case.