COIMBATORE: A TNSTC mofussil bus operating between Pollachi and Coimbatore caught fire on the Pollachi-Coimbatore National Highways road near Othakkalmandapam on the city outskirts on Thursday morning. Around 50 commuters managed to get off the bus after the driver detected smoke emanating from the engine bay.
Police said around 50 passengers were travelling on the bus between Pollachi and Coimbatore.K Suresh, 42, the driver of the TNSTC bus, detected smoke in the engine bay and stopped the bus at Premier Mills bus stop at Othakkalmandapam.
He asked all the passengers to get off the bus. All the passengers, along with the driver Suresh and bus conductor A Kathiresan, safely exited the bus.
Meanwhile, the flames spread across the bus. The passengers alerted the Kinathukadavu fire station, and a team of firemen reached the spot within 15 minutes. Before their arrival, the bus was completely gutted.
The firemen put out the fire after 20 minutes of struggle. The bus was removed from the road and parked on the roadside. The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained.