44 Passengers Escape Bus Fire on Mumbai-Goa Highway

A private luxury bus carrying 44 passengers narrowly escaped disaster when it caught fire on the Mumbai-Goa Highway in Maharashtra’s Raigad district early Sunday morning. The incident, which occurred around 2 am near the Kashedi tunnel in Poladpur, was triggered by a tyre burst, leading to a rapid blaze that engulfed the vehicle. Thanks to the bus driver’s quick thinking, all passengers were safely evacuated, averting a potential tragedy.

The bus was traveling from Mumbai to Malvan in Sindhudurg district when the incident unfolded. According to police, the driver noticed an issue after a tyre burst and immediately applied emergency brakes, instructing passengers to disembark. By the time they reached safety, the fire had spread across the bus, intensified by a blast in the diesel tank. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as passengers were already at a safe distance.

Police and fire brigade teams responded swiftly, arriving at the scene to cordon off the highway and halt traffic in both directions. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 3 am, allowing vehicular movement to resume shortly after. The bus, however, was completely charred, with passengers’ belongings destroyed in the fire.

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A case has been registered at Poladpur Police Station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire. Authorities suspect the tyre burst sparked the blaze, but further inquiries will clarify the circumstances. This incident adds to a series of accidents on the Mumbai-Goa Highway, raising concerns about road safety and vehicle maintenance on this busy route.

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