Panvel: A private bus travelling from Udaipur in Rajasthan to Pune was completely gutted after catching fire on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Rasayani on September 24 morning. A suspected short-circuit in the bus’s AC wiring is believed to have triggered the blaze. The driver and all 14 passengers escaped safely.

The incident occurred around 7.25 am when the Hyundai Travels bus (MP 44 ZB 6776) was heading towards Pune. According to Rasayani police, the driver noticed smoke coming from the AC wiring and immediately pulled the vehicle to the roadside.

He quickly evacuated all 14 passengers and attempted to control the flames using a fire extinguisher. However, the fire spread rapidly and soon engulfed the entire bus.

After being alerted, one MSRTC fire tender, two fire tenders from New Panvel and a team from the Khopoli fire brigade rushed to the spot. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly 45 minutes before bringing it under control.

Fortunately, none of the passengers or the driver suffered injuries. Since the bus had been moved to the roadside and traffic was relatively light at the time, the incident did not cause significant disruption to traffic on the expressway.

The bus operator later arranged an alternative vehicle for the passengers, allowing them to continue their journey to Pune.

Rasayani police said a preliminary inquiry indicated that a short circuit in the AC wiring may have caused the fire. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident.