Passengers narrowly escape death as Barishal-bound bus suddenly catches fire
Police suspect the fire may have been caused by a short circuit or problems in the engine; no casualties reported
A Barishal-bound bus, which was coming from Dhaka, caught fire suddenly while travelling on the Dhaka-Barishal Highway this morning (6 March). However, there were no casualties as the passengers managed to get off the bus and narrowly escaped death.
The Green Line Paribahan bus caught fire in the Dakkhin Bamrail area under Wazirpur Upazila in Barishal at around 10:15am, according to police and passengers.
After being informed, four firefighting units from Gournadi and Wazirpur fire stations went to the spot and doused the fire.
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Gournadi Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Aminur Rahman said the fire may have been caused by a short circuit or problems in the engine.
There were 19 passengers on the bus and no one was luckily hurt, he added.
According to the passengers, they had warned the staff of the bus after smelling smoke and sensed that something was burning since the vehicle crossed the Batajor area.
The staff of the bus sprayed air fresheners but the smell of fire and smoke became intense as the bus reached the Dakkhin Bamrail area. There, the bus was stopped and the passengers evacuated in a hurry. Within minutes, the entire bus was engulfed in fire, said the passengers.
Station Officer Bipul Hossain of Gournadi Fire Service Station said only one of the 19 passengers sustained minor injuries. "However, all of the passengers' luggage was destroyed in the fire."
"The passengers have been sent to their destinations safely," Bipul added.
Due to the incident, vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Barishal Highway was suspended for one and a half hours.
