A Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus caught fire in the coastal district on Friday morning, prompting the swift action of the driver to ensure the safety of all 44 passengers aboard. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported as everyone managed to escape unharmed.
The fire was extinguished by the fire brigade, though the cause of the incident is yet to be determined, according to officials from the Kayamkulam police station.
The driver, speaking to the media, recounted how he noticed a change in the engine sound and promptly pulled over. Upon inspection, he observed thick smoke emanating from the back of the bus. Reacting quickly, he directed all passengers to evacuate the vehicle immediately. Notably, among the passengers were around 20 college students who were set to disembark at the next stop.
The driver ruled out a diesel tank leak as the cause, noting that the fire appeared to have originated in the engine compartment. Visuals of the incident aired on TV channels depicted thick smoke billowing from the bus, which was parked on the busy national highway 66. Despite the efforts to extinguish the blaze, the bus sustained significant damage.