Patna: A major accident was averted on Tuesday evening when a CNG passenger bus suddenly caught fire near Teresia turn on the Hajipur-Patna main road, under the jurisdiction of Gangabridge police station. More than 50 passengers, along with the driver, managed to jump off the bus and escape unharmed before the fire engulfed the vehicle.
Eyewitnesses reported that the AC bus, which had departed from Hajipur railway station for Patna, suddenly caught fire due to a suspected CNG cylinder leak. As soon as the fire broke out, the driver stopped the bus immediately, allowing all passengers to evacuate in time. Within moments, the entire bus was engulfed in flames.
A crowd of onlookers gathered at the site, while passersby informed the police about the incident. Gangabridge police station in-charge Abhishek Tripathi and his team rushed to the scene and initiated necessary actions.
Upon receiving the alert, a team of fire brigade personnel arrived at the scene with three fire engines and managed to control the fire after hours of effort. However, by the time the fire was doused, the bus was completely reduced to ashes.
Fire officer Satyendra Prasad stated that CNG leakage had occurred, increasing the risk of an explosion. However, it was a stroke of luck that the cylinder did not explode, preventing a major disaster.
The fire incident caused severe traffic congestion on Mahatma Gandhi Setu, as a long queue of two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and heavy vehicles formed on both lanes. Commuters faced hours of delay before the police managed to clear the traffic and restore normal movement.
Following the incident, the burnt bus was towed to the police station for further investigation. SHO Abhishek Tripathi confirmed that legal action is being taken in the matter. Authorities are now examining the cause of the fire and whether CNG buses on the route meet safety standards.
This is the second such incident in recent weeks. On January 11, another moving bus caught fire near pillar number 14 of Mahatma Gandhi Setu. That bus, which was heading to Patna from Laheriasarai, was also completely destroyed, though passengers escaped safely.
