Narrow escape for passengers as bus catches fire

Thane: Over 40 passengers of a bus had a miraculous escape when it caught fire while on way to Kalyan city in the district, official sources said.

The packed bus of Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Transport, heading from Malangh Gadh to Kalyan caught fire at around 9 PM yesterday, district authorities said.

One of the passengers alerted the bus driver, Dileep Pardeshi, saying that he could smell something burning.

The driver immediately stopped the bus at a road side near the Sanai Mangal Karyalaya in Bail Bazar and evacuated it quickly. It was later found that a short-circuit in the battery resulted in the fire, which reduced the bus to ashes within minutes, sources added.