Private bus gutted in fire after rear tyre bursts in Andhra

Chundi: A private AC bus travelling from Kadapa to Vijayawada was gutted in a fire following a rear tyre burst here in Prakasam district during the wee hours of Tuesday, November 10, and all of its 35 occupants escaped unhurt, said a police official.

“The bus, registered in Chittoor, caught fire after one of its rear tyres burst while it was travelling from Kadapa to Vijayawada around 1 am today. However, all 35 occupants, including 33 passengers, the driver and the cleaner, escaped unhurt,” the official told PTI.

According to police, the driver stopped the bus on the left side of the road after one of its rear tyres burst. When he got down to inspect the bus, it had already caught fire.

The official said the tyre burst appeared to have generated sparks and excessive heat, which ignited the rubber and caused the fire to spread rapidly.

The driver opened the emergency exit and helped evacuate the passengers through the front door, police said, adding that their luggage was also retrieved from the bus and handed over to them.

Fire personnel rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control.