Passengers had a miraculous escape after a sleeper bus travelling from Bengaluru to Manipal caught fire in the wee hours of Monday in Uppinangady police station limits. Speaking to mediapersons, SP Sharanappa said that fire erupted in the Seabird private bus, when it reached Sannampady near Uppinangady. There were 26 passengers on board and three had alighted at Hassan. The bus driver had stopped the bus at Nelyadi for a cup of tea. A few passengers who could get the smell of burning, informed the driver, who in turn when checked saw fire in the engine after the bus travelled five kilometres from Nellyadi. The driver tried to douse the fire. When he could not extinguish fire, he asked all the passengers to come out of the bus. In the melee, two women passengers who were in the upper berth of the bus suffered minor injuries and are recuperating in a hospital in Puttur. Prima facie evidence revealed that short circuit caused the fire mishap and not due to the negligence of driver or owner of the bus, it is said. As the passengers alighted from the bus, the fire engulfed the entire bus. The luggages have been damaged in the fire. Fire service personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire.
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