A driver and 35 passengers escaped unhurt after the luxury private tourist Volvo bus, in which they were travelling in caught fire, at Velakalnatham village near Natrampalli town in Tirupattur on Chennai – Bengaluru Highway (NH 44) on Sunday (December 1, 2024).
Police said that bus driver A. Ansar Basha, a native of Bengaluru, picked up 35 passengers including 15 women travelers from CMBT Koyambedu in Chennai and was heading towards Bengaluru on the highway when he suddenly noticed smoke coming out from the rear side of the vehicle.
Immediately, Basha stopped the vehicle and came out of it. Passengers in the bus also alighted from the vehicle. Based on an alert from the driver, Natrampalli police and firefighters reached the spot. Before they could douse the fire, the bus was completely gutted. The incident happened around 3.30 a.m.
Initial inquiry revealed that the axis of the wheels of the bus was made with aluminum to allow the vehicle to go at high speed especially in the highways. Due to high speed, the axis of the rear wheels of the bus got broken and sparks from the broken axis lit the tires. The driver did not notice the fault while driving the vehicle.
Over the course of time, tires on the rear side of the bus were burning with a lot of smoke that alerted passengers and the bus crew to halt the vehicle on the extreme end of the stretch. Drizzling was also reported on the stretch. However, traffic was regulated by the police on the route. Affected passengers boarded an alternative bus to reach Bengaluru. A case was registered by Natrampalli police. A probe is underway.
Published – December 01, 2024 12:34 pm IST
