Alert Driver Saves Lives As Pune-Yavatmal Bus Catches Fire After Tyre Burst

Jalna: A private bus travelling from Pune to Yavatmal suddenly caught fire after a tyre burst at Selgaon Shivar on the Jalna–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Road in the wee hours of Tuesday. Fortunately, no casualties occurred due to the alertness of the driver, but the entire bus was reduced to ashes.

The private bus (MH29 AW 4444) was on its way from Pune to Yavatmal when, upon reaching near Selgaon Shivar, the rear tyre suddenly burst. The driver, Bhimrao Ghode, noticed smoke coming from the back of the bus. He immediately parked the bus by the roadside and asked all the passengers to get out. He woke up the passengers, who were fast asleep during the wee hours, and instructed them to alight immediately.

All the passengers got off, after which the fire started spreading rapidly. Employees of a nearby petrol pump tried to extinguish the fire using fire extinguishers, but due to heavy winds, the flames intensified and soon engulfed the entire bus. The bus was reduced to ashes in no time.

Upon receiving information, the Badnapur police and the fire brigade rushed to the spot, but by then the bus had already been reduced to ashes. Fortunately, no casualties were reported due to the alertness of the bus driver.