Around 40 passengers had a narrow escape after a moving bus caught fire on the Raya Cut Bridge of the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district during the early hours of Saturday, November 14, news agency IANS reported. All passengers were evacuated safely in time and no casualties have been reported.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

According to the police, information about the incident was received by Police Response Vehicle (PRV) 5840 at around 1:38 a.m. on Saturday. The bus had caught fire on the bridge, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Raya police station, IANS reported. Mahavan Circle Officer Sanjeev Kumar Rai confirmed that all passengers were safely evacuated before the fire engulfed the vehicle, according to Nation Press and Daily Kiran reports of the same incident.

Source: Nation Press

40passengers on board
0casualties reported
1:38 a.m.time police received the alert, Saturday

Bus, route and suspected cause

The bus, bearing registration number MP14ZH5063, belonged to Khajuraho Travels and was travelling from Kashmere Gate in Delhi to Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh, according to preliminary information reported by IANS. It was driven by Jitendra, a resident of Naugaon in Chhatarpur district.

A suspected short circuit in the bus's electrical wiring is believed to have triggered the blaze while the vehicle was crossing the Raya Cut Bridge. Police said the precise technical cause is still under preliminary investigation, and authorities are yet to establish the exact reason for the electrical failure.

Why it matters

The Yamuna Expressway is a busy inter-state corridor linking Delhi with Agra and onward routes. A fire in a moving, fully occupied bus is a high-risk event; officials credited the timely evacuation and the response of police and fire personnel with preventing a major tragedy.

No injuries were reported among the passengers. Further details are awaited as the police complete their preliminary inquiry into the fire.