Maharashtra: Bus gutted after catching fire in Navi Mumbai, passengers safe

Twenty passengers travelling in a bus operated by the Navi Mumbai civic body had a narrow escape when the vehicle suddenly caught fire while it was going to Kalyan in Thane district on Thursday, an official said.

The incident occurred around 9.55 am at Nagzari bus stop on Khoni-Taloja Road in Navi Mumbai, he said, adding that the bus was gutted in the incident.

"The bus was on its way from Navi Mumbai to Kalyan when the blaze erupted. The driver of the bus noticed it and raised an alarm, following which all 20 passengers stepped out immediately and escaped unhurt," said Yogesh Kaduskar, chief fire officer of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC).

After being alerted, the NMMC fire services personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire within half an hour, he said.

"The bus was completely gutted in the fire," Kaduskar said, adding that a short-circuit is suspected to be behind the blaze.

The incident caused a traffic jam on the road for some time, he said.