25 May,2026 07:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Abhitash Singh
Fire that broke out on a luxury bus in Navi Mumbai. Pics/PTI
Tragedy was averted in Navi Mumbai after a passenger bus travelling from Bengaluru, Karnataka, to Rajkot in Gujarat caught fire on the Mumbai-bound lane of the Vashi bridge on Sunday afternoon. All 20 passengers onboard escaped after the blaze erupted suddenly from the driver's cabin, creating panic on the busy route.
The incident occurred around 2.10 am near the start of the Vashi bridge. According to officials, the fire spread rapidly within minutes and engulfed a large portion of the bus, before firefighters managed to bring it under control.
Mohammad Asif, autorickshaw driver and eyewitness
Driver Asif Sattarbhai Mamodia told officials that smoke first started emerging from the electrical wiring near the dashboard while the vehicle was moving. "There was a sudden spark near the wiring connection in the cabin and within moments flames started spreading," he reportedly said during the preliminary inquiry.
Sources at the spot said the driver and cleaner initially attempted to control the fire but allegedly did not know how to properly operate the fire extinguisher installed inside the bus. This delay allowed the flames to intensify quickly and spread through the front section of the vehicle. Fortunately, the fire brigade reached the spot quickly after receiving an alert.
A fire officer at the scene said his team managed to prevent the blaze from spreading further despite the intensity of the fire. "Our priority was to ensure all passengers were evacuated safely and stop the fire from reaching nearby vehicles," he said.
A firefighter douses the fire that broke out on a luxury bus in Navi Mumbai on Sunday afternoon. Pics/PTI
Mohammad Asif, an autorickshaw driver, said he saw the fire escalate within seconds. "By the time people understood what had happened, thick smoke had already covered the front side of the bus. Passengers were screaming and rushing out with their bags," he said.
Traffic movement on the Mumbai-bound carriageway was affected for some time as firefighting operations continued. The route was later cleared and traffic restored after the charred vehicle was removed.
The charred interiors of the bus
Preliminary investigation points towards a short circuit in the electrical wiring as the likely cause of the fire. Authorities are expected to carry out a detailed probe into the incident and verify whether all mandatory fire safety measures were in place.
