Rising temperatures across several districts in the state have led to incidents of fire. Following recent incidents of fires in Mumbai and Pune, another alarming event has unfolded on the Pune-Bangalore highway, where an ST bus caught fire. The intense fire broke out near the Anewadi toll plaza, approximately seventy kilometres from Pune.
Although all passengers were safely evacuated from the bus before the fire spread, there were no casualties. However, within just fifteen minutes, the bus was reduced to ashes. Consequently, concerns have been raised regarding the negligence highlighted by the drivers and conductors, which resulted in this unfortunate accident.
According to reports, the Vithai ST bus, travelling from the Radhanagari depot in Kolhapur to Swargate, caught fire at the Anewadi toll plaza. As soon as the driver noticed smoke emanating from the engine, he promptly stopped the bus, and with the assistance of the conductor, all the passengers were safely disembarked. Many individuals attempted to save themselves by breaking windows and jumping off the bus. Within a span of just 10 to 15 minutes, the entire ST bus was completely consumed by the fire. The incident resulted in a significant traffic jam on the Pune-Bengaluru highway due to the smoke.
Upon receiving information about the incident, local residents and the police swiftly arrived at the scene. The police immediately requested fire tenders from the Wai Municipality and a nearby sugar factory. The firefighters efficiently extinguished the fire within minutes, and the bus was subsequently cleared from the highway. Additionally, arrangements were made to divert the passengers to Pune using another ST bus once the traffic situation had normalized.