Nalgonda, Telangana— A major tragedy was averted early Tuesday morning after a private bus caught fire on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway in Nalgonda district. Fortunately, all 29 passengers escaped unhurt, police said.
The incident occurred around 1:45 AM in Chityal mandal, when the bus was traveling from Hyderabad to Kandukur in Andhra Pradesh. The driver noticed smoke rising from the engine and promptly halted the vehicle, asking passengers to disembark. Moments later, the entire bus was engulfed in flames, said Nalgonda District Superintendent of Police Sharath Chandra Pawar.
A police team and two fire tenders rushed to the spot and managed to douse the fire. The vehicle, however, was completely gutted.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.
