A major tragedy was narrowly averted in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai when a fully loaded bus, carrying more than 60 passengers, suddenly burst into flames, following the emergence of a plume of smoke, on Wednesday. Fortunately, all passengers, the driver and the conductor managed to escape before the fire engulfed the entire bus in a matter of minutes.

Sources indicate that the bus is an Ashok Leyland variant, procured by Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) in 2016-17. Prior to this incident, fires had broken out on buses of the same model twice, according to an NMMT insider. “The incident has prompted an inquiry to determine the fire’s cause. We’ve summoned the team of the company concerned to submit their report alongside our internal investigation,” stated Yogesh Kaduskar, the NMMT transport manager.