Hyderabad: A Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) bus was gutted in a fire near the Mehdipatnam bus stop in Hyderabad on Tuesday, though all passengers escaped without injury.
According to officials, the incident occurred when the bus, belonging to the Mehdipatnam depot, was returning from Lingampally. As the vehicle approached Mehdipatnam, it came to a sudden stop on the road. The driver immediately moved it to the roadside to avoid disruption and attempted to restart the engine.
When the self-start mechanism failed, the passengers were asked to disembark. The driver then opened the front bonnet to check the engine cables. At that point, a fire ignited in the engine compartment and rapidly extended to the front portion of the bus. Eyewitnesses reported that within minutes, thick smoke covered the area and the bus’s front portion was engulfed.
Mehdipatnam RTC bus fire investigation underway
Alert locals informed the fire control room, following which fire tenders reached the spot. Firefighters managed to douse the blaze before it could spread to the fuel tank or other sections of the bus. Officials confirmed that the quick response of the driver in evacuating passengers averted a major tragedy.
Police teams from Mehdipatnam station and TGSRTC officials also arrived to examine the charred vehicle. Mechanical experts from the corporation have been tasked with identifying the cause of the fire. Preliminary reports suggest a possible electrical short circuit, but officials said the exact reason will be known only after a detailed inspection.
The gutted bus has since been shifted from the site to clear traffic congestion in the busy Mehdipatnam junction. Authorities have assured passengers that regular checks will continue to avoid such incidents in future.
