Udaipur, May 13: A major disaster was averted on the Udaipur-Ahmedabad National Highway (NH-48) when a sleeper bus carrying 40 passengers caught fire on Monday afternoon. The incident occurred in front of the Parsad police station, leading to panic among the passengers as thick smoke and flames engulfed the vehicle.
In a desperate bid to save themselves, several passengers jumped out through the emergency windows. Fortunately, all passengers were evacuated safely, and there were no casualties reported.
The police stated that the incident took place around 3 PM while the bus was en route from Udaipur to Ahmedabad. Smoke began to billow from the bus, prompting the driver and conductor to stop the vehicle immediately and instruct passengers to disembark. Within moments, the fire escalated, consuming the entire bus.
Traffic Disruption on the Highway
Upon receiving news of the incident, the Parsad police arrived at the scene and temporarily halted traffic on the highway. A fire brigade team worked diligently to control the blaze. Station House Officer Naresh Kumar Meena indicated that preliminary investigations suggest a short circuit may have caused the fire, although the investigation is ongoing. Police noted that had the passengers not exited the bus in time, a significant tragedy could have occurred.