A major tragedy was narrowly averted early this morning on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) within the limits of the Hyderabad metropolitan area. Near Koheda in the Abdullapurmet Mandal of Ranga Reddy district, a private bus traveling along the ORR service road suddenly caught fire and was completely engulfed in flames. A significant loss of life was narrowly averted thanks to the timely alertness of the bus crew and passengers.
According to accounts from the police and locals, the private bus in question was traveling along the ORR service road from the direction of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad. As it approached the vicinity of Koheda, thick smoke suddenly began billowing from the bus’s engine compartment, followed immediately by the outbreak of fire.
Having spotted the flames early on, the bus driver and cleaner reacted with immediate alertness. The driver pulled the bus over to the roadside, while the crew swiftly evacuated all the passengers—along with their luggage—from the vehicle. Within just a few minutes of the passengers disembarking, the fire spread rapidly throughout the entire bus. In a matter of moments, the bus was transformed into a blazing fireball. Upon receiving the information, the Fire Department personnel rushed to the scene immediately with two fire engines.
They successfully extinguished the flames that had engulfed the bus; however, by that time, the vehicle had already been reduced to a charred skeleton. It remains to be ascertained exactly how many passengers were on board the bus at the time of the incident; however, officials breathed a sigh of relief as everyone managed to escape safely. Preliminary assessments suggest that a short circuit may have been the cause of the accident. The police have registered a case regarding this incident and are currently conducting an investigation.
