18 passengers escape as KSRTC electric bus catches fire near Mysuru

Eighteen passengers narrowly escaped injury after an electric bus operated by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) caught fire near Bilikere, approximately 20 kilometers from Mysuru, on Saturday evening. The incident occurred around 5:40 p.m. as the bus was en route from Virajpet to Bengaluru. The KSRTC Divisional Controller for Mysuru Rural Division, Veeresh H.T., reported that the driver observed flames emanating from one of the bus tyres when the brakes failed.

He promptly stopped the vehicle on the roadside, and all passengers were safely evacuated. Despite the crew's efforts to extinguish the fire using fire extinguishers, the flames quickly spread. Fire and emergency services were subsequently called, and they managed to control the blaze after some time. The electric bus in question was part of the KSRTC Central Division (BCD-4) located in Bengaluru.

According to a senior KSRTC official in Bengaluru, the crew successfully ensured that all passengers disembarked before the fire could spread throughout the vehicle. No passenger or crew member sustained any injuries during the incident. Following the event, KSRTC made arrangements to facilitate the affected passengers' continued journey, accommodating them on other corporation buses operating on the same route and sending them onward to their destinations.