Pimpri-Chinchwad: A school bus caught fire near the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway in Wakad on Thursday after dropping more than 35 students at Indira National School. No one was injured in the incident, as the bus was empty when it caught fire. The incident took place while the bus was returning after dropping the students at the school. The driver noticed a burning smell and smoke coming from the vehicle.
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He immediately pulled the bus to the side of the road and got out safely. The driver also called a mechanic after noticing smoke coming from the dashboard. However, the mechanic took time to reach the spot, and the fire intensified quickly. The driver then alerted the fire brigade.
Nikhil Gogawale, Fire Officer, Pimpri-Chinchwad, said the fire brigade team reached the spot within two to three minutes of receiving the call.
“Smoke started coming from the dashboard, so the driver pulled the vehicle over to the side and called a mechanic. However, the mechanic was taking time to arrive, and the fire intensified rapidly. The fire brigade was called, and the fire tender reached the spot within two to three minutes and brought the fire under control,” Gogawale said.
Firefighters launched an operation to control the blaze and later extinguished the fire. Fortunately, no students were inside the bus when it caught fire. The driver had already dropped more than 35 students at Indira School before starting the return journey.
“No one lost their life or sustained any injuries. Everyone is safe,” Gogawale said. The fire caused concern among people in the area as the vehicle was near the busy Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway. Firefighters managed to bring the situation under control. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Further details are awaited.
(With Inputs From IANS)
