Bus engulfed in flames, KSRTC crew saves 42 passengers

Kalpetta: For Sidheeqali AP and Sajeevan K, the staff of the Kozhikode-bound KSRTC Swift bus that caught fire and was reduced to a skeleton near Nanjangud in Mysuru district of Karnataka, the only consolation is that they managed to save the lives of all passengers on board. The bus, carrying 42 passengers from Bengaluru to Kozhikode via Sulthan Bathery, caught fire around 2 am on Friday.

It was the first time that both Sidheeqali and Sajeevan, who were serving as driver-cum-conductor, were assigned to the Bengaluru trip on a Swift bus. They said the automatic transmission bus was easy to operate and extremely comfortable to handle.

Speaking about the incident, they expressed shock and said they could not believe that the vehicle, which had been part of their lives over the past two days, met with such a tragic fate.

Sidheeqali told Onmanorama that he sensed something was wrong after noticing a strange smell. Soon after he stopped the bus, a passenger travelling in a car alerted him to smoke emanating from the vehicle.

“We got down and realised it was extremely dangerous to continue the journey as flames had already broken out from the bottom of the bus. It was around 2.30 am, and all the passengers were in deep sleep,” he said. The duo immediately alerted the passengers, shouting for everyone to get out. They helped retrieve luggage and assisted women and elderly passengers to step out safely amid the panic.

“Our first priority was to save the passengers. Once everyone was moved to a safe distance, we tried to explore ways to douse the flames. However, there were no houses or shops nearby. Mobile network coverage was also very weak, making it difficult to alert the Fire and Rescue Services,” Sidheeqali recalled, adding that in his 15-year career with KSRTC, he had never faced such an incident.

A few passengers lost valuables, including a laptop, a mobile phone, and the passport of a youth that was kept in a handbag. However, most passengers managed to save their belongings. None of them complained; instead, they thanked the staff for saving their lives.

As night traffic restrictions were in force, no vehicles were available to Sulthan Bathery, forcing the passengers to wait until 4.30 am to board another bus to Kerala.

According to Abhinand, a passenger, the fire first broke out from the engine area at the bottom of the bus.

“A car driver alerted the bus staff, following which the passengers were evacuated immediately. Though a few lost valuables, life is more precious than anything else,” he said, praising the timely intervention of the staff.

Both Sajeevan and Sidheeqali remain in Nanjangud to complete formalities and transport the burnt vehicle to Kerala.