A private bus travelling from Hyderabad to Tirupati on the Kolkata–Chennai National Highway was gutted in a fire near Rajupalem in Ulavapadu mandal of Prakasam district during the early hours of Friday (May 15). All 37 persons in the bus, including two drivers, escaped safely through the windows and the main door without any injuries.

According to the police, the incident happened at Bheemavaram Cross Roads at around 3 a.m. As per the initial report, one of the rear tyres on the right-side of the bus got stuck and the bus reportedly caught fire due to the friction. However, the actual cause of fire is yet to be ascertained.

The passengers were immediately alerted by the driver and the cleaner. With their support, all the passengers along with and their luggage came out of the bus, while some of them broke the windows to escape. Meanwhile, the Fire department staff arrived and controlled the fire. Investigation is on.

An APSRTC bus went up in flames after it came in touch with low-hanging high tension power cables at Veerannagattupalle village in Kadapa district on Sunday. The incident has turned out to be a matter of concern considering the half a dozen such instances witnessed in Andhra Pradesh over the last fortnight.

The APSRTC rural service (Palle Velugu) bus was proceeding from Kadiri in Sri Sathya Sai district to Vempalle in Kadapa district when the accident happened at Veerannagattupalle.

After seeing smoke rising from the roof of the bus, the 22 passengers raised an alarm and brought the bus to a halt before rushing out to safety. Even as the passengers watched helplessly, the bus went up in flames and was almost completely gutted before the fire tenders arrived.

Left stranded in a remote location, the passengers had to search for alternative modes of transport to reach their destination.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, who sought the details of the accident, praised the the driver for his prompt response in bringing the bus to a halt and saving the lives of the passengers.