Palakkad: The prompt intervention of a KSRTC bus driver averted a major tragedy early Tuesday morning, saving the lives of 62 passengers after the vehicle caught fire near a fish market in Pattambi, Palakkad. The bus, travelling from Perinthalmanna, caught fire around 5 am. The driver, Rajesh, spotted smoke from the engine and immediately brought the vehicle to a halt.

"There was smoke, so I immediately stopped the bus to check. Before getting down, I kept the doors of the vehicle open because automatic doors tend to jam during electrical failures or fires," the driver said. Upon seeing flames, he quickly alerted the passengers, all of whom managed to get out of the vehicle unhurt before the fire spread.

Pattambi fire force and police personnel rushed to the spot after being notified. According to Manoj Kumar V, Station Fire and Rescue Officer (SFRO), the front portion of the bus was engulfed in flames when the team arrived. "A short circuit in the front portion is reportedly the cause. The driver noticed the fire as the bus approached the Pattambi signal," he said, adding that firefighters broke a window to tackle the blaze and brought it under control within half an hour. The bus sustained significant structural damage. Another vehicle arranged from the depot later transported the stranded passengers to their destinations, officials said.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Transport Commissioner at the Perinthalmanna depot told Onmanorama that a preliminary probe points to a short circuit. "The exact cause can only be established after a detailed technical inspection of the vehicle, which is now stationed at Edappal," he said.