Mumbai: An alert driver helped save lives of 48 passengers of a private bus on the Mumbai-Goa highway near Poladpur on Sunday, after the bus caught fire and went up in flames.
An accidental case of fire was registered at Poladpur police station and the investigation is underway.
According to police, the private luxury bus, Sai Puja, was plying from Sindhudurg to Mumbai, when its tyre burst at around 1.15am on Sunday.
As soon as the driver, Vidyanand Kirloskar, noticed smoke billowing out of the rear tyre on the right, he alerted the passengers and told everyone to alight from the bus along with luggage.
Within no time, the bus was completely charred but luckily nobody sustained injuries. Meanwhile, a second bus was arranged and the passengers were brought to Mumbai.
Police said, an accidental case of fire was registered based on information given by Kirloskar. “The tyre burst aloud and flames were seen metres away from the spot. Passengers who had alighted from the bus were moved to a safe area. Other vehicles were also stopped,” said a cop.
