28 have narrow escape as bus catches fire near Chotila

Rajkot: A fire broke out on a moving bus on Monday afternoon on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway near Chotila, just four days after a deadly highway collision near Sangani village claimed four lives.

The fire occurred between 4 and 4.30pm, approximately 8.6km from Chotila. The private bus was going from Somnath to Ahmedabad with 28 passengers on board.

The bus driver, Raju Odedra, said he noticed the smell of something burning and immediately stopped the vehicle. On inspecting the bus with the helper, he found that a fire had started in the undercarriage.

Passengers were evacuated immediately through the front door, and the front and rear emergency exits. The bus crew also attempted to control the flames with the onboard fire extinguisher, but the fire spread rapidly.

The fire brigade was alerted and arrived promptly, eventually putting out the blaze. No casualties were reported.

Senior police officers went to the scene as the fire caused temporary traffic congestion on the highway, but police later cleared the route and restored traffic movement.

The fire comes just days after an accident on May 14 near Sangani village on the same highway, where a private bus hit a bitumen tanker, killing four people — a couple, the bus driver and his helper.