A van carrying a group of tourists caught fire near the Ari Check Post on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border in Kumily on Tuesday afternoon.

The tempo traveller, which had arrived from Madurai on a leisure trip to Thekkady, was completely gutted in the incident. All 13 occupants- eight men, four women and the driver- escaped without any injuries.

The incident occurred around 1 pm. The driver suddenly noticed smoke rising from the front portion of the vehicle and immediately pulled over to the roadside. Sensing danger, all the passengers rushed out of the van within seconds, averting a major tragedy. Soon after, the vehicle was engulfed in flames.

A fire force unit from Cumbum in Tamil Nadu rushed to the spot and, after sustained efforts, managed to bring the blaze under control. 

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Preliminary findings suggest that a short circuit may have caused the fire. The incident led to a brief traffic disruption in the border area. Gudalur police reached the scene and initiated further procedures.

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