A major tragedy was narrowly avoided in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi district on Monday morning when a state road transport bus caught fire. The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus, which was carrying 42 passengers along with the driver and conductor, was completely gutted in the blaze. Fortunately, all occupants managed to evacuate the vehicle safely before it was engulfed in flames.
Incident Details
The incident took place on the Ayodhya-Prayagraj Highway near Durgapur crossing in the Piparpur area. The bus, bearing registration number UP44 BT 4036, belonged to the Sultanpur depot and was en route to Pratapgarh. The driver, Mohammad Anees, and conductor, Ravikant, were on duty at the time.
According to the conductor, the fire was caused by a short circuit in the moving bus. As soon as smoke and flames were detected, the driver immediately stopped the vehicle. All 42 passengers, along with the driver and conductor, quickly alighted and moved to a safe distance. Within minutes, the fire spread rapidly, reducing the entire bus to ashes.
Response and Traffic Disruption
Visuals of the burning bus soon went viral on social media platforms. The incident caused a traffic jam on the highway for about half an hour, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded. The Station House Officer (SHO) of the local police station, Arun Kumar Mishra, arrived at the scene with a police team. Local residents also came forward to help control the fire until a fire brigade vehicle from the CRPF Group Centre arrived and extinguished the blaze.
No injuries or casualties were reported. The police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. Further details are awaited.
