Nashik: Shivshahi, a luxury air-conditioned bus of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), caught fire on the Nashik-Pune highway on Wednesday near Malwadi Shivar in Sinnar tehsil of Nashik district. This is the second incident of this category of bus catching fire; luckily, no injuries or casualties have been reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, a Shivshahi bus suddenly caught fire in Yerwada, Pune. However, all 42 passengers were safe, as the bus was parked to one side when the incident occurred.
Passing vehicles informed the driver
"On Wednesday, the bus was on its way to Pune from Nashik when the driver stopped the bus after being alerted by the other passing vehicles about smoke coming out of the vehicle. He then asked the 45 passengers to evacuate the bus immediately. After that, within a few minutes, flames engulfed the bus," said an official of MSRTC, adding that the cause of the fire is under investigation.
"A fire tender each from Sinnar Nagar Parishad and Sinnar MIDC were called in to douse the flames, but the bus was completely gutted till they reached the spot," said an officer of MSRTC.
Fire on Tuesday was started from the radiator of the bus
A day before, 42 passengers of another Shivshahi bus had a narrow escape after it caught fire near Yerawada. The incident took place at around 11.30 a.m. at Shastri Chowk in Yerawada, when the bus was on its way to Pune from Yavatmal.
Asked about repeated instances of fire in luxury bus services, an MSRTC official said, "The exact cause will be known only after investigation, but the fire on Tuesday was started from the radiator of the bus."
