Koraput: A major mishap was narrowly averted early Thursday morning after an Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) bus caught fire while traversing through the Sunki Ghat road in Parvathipuram Manyam district on National Highway 26 connecting Koraput and Visakhapatnam. Fortunately, all passengers escaped unhurt, thanks to the swift action of the driver, though the vehicle was completely gutted in the blaze. According to reports, the government bus departed from Vijayanagar for Jeypore around 5am.
The incident occurred near Konawalsa, close to the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, when smoke suddenly started emanating from the engine. Sensing danger, the driver immediately stopped the bus and safely evacuated all five passengers onboard before the fire spread. Within minutes, the flames engulfed the vehicle, reducing it to ashes. Fire personnel from Salur in Andhra Pradesh soon arrived and brought the blaze under control, preventing it from spreading to nearby forest areas. Preliminary findings suggest that a short circuit in the engine might have caused the fire, though the exact reason is still being investigated. Police and an OSRTC official praised the driver’s quick response, saying his alertness helped avert a major tragedy. Traffic on the highway was briefly disrupted but resumed after the fire was extinguished.
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