Pimpri: A major disaster was averted early Sunday (January 5) morning when a private passenger bus caught fire near Pimple Saudagar. Thanks to the quick thinking of the driver, all seven passengers onboard were safely evacuated before the flames consumed the vehicle.

The incident occurred at 6:30 AM at the Y-junction between Jagtap Dairy and Rakshak Chowk. The bus, with registration number MH 14 HY 2028, was en route from Nanded to Kalewadi Phata.

As smoke began to emerge from the vehicle, the driver, Chandrashekhar Togare, immediately stopped the bus at the side of the road and evacuated the passengers. Shortly after, the fire escalated, engulfing the entire bus.

Upon being informed, fire brigade teams from the Rahatni and Thergaon units of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation rushed to the spot. Firefighters battled the blaze for an hour, using a large quantity of water to bring it under control.

While the bus was entirely destroyed in the fire, leaving only its metal framework, no injuries or casualties were reported. Preliminary investigations by fire officials indicate that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit.

Recently on December 5, 2024, a school bus, belonging to Phoenix World School, caught fire. It had 15 to 20 students on board at the time. All the students were safely evacuated before the fire spread. After the students were rescued, the fire rapidly intensified, completely consuming the vehicle.