Running bus catches fire in Pokhara, 40 rescued safely

By Radha Krishna Dumre, Syangja, April 15: A bus running on road has caught fire at Pokhara Metropolis-22 along the Siddhartha Highway.

The bus en route to Waling from Panchkot of Baglung was carrying 40 passengers, all residents of Waling municipality-2, who had been to Panchkot to celebrate New Year by reserving a bus, Ga 1 Kha. 9562.

Dipendra GT, a passenger in the bus, said, "First of all, smoke rose from the gear box and then the flames followed. Once we saw the fire, we all got panicked and came out of the bus through doors and also smashing the windows".

Hari Bahadur Basnet, spokesperson of DSP at the Kaski district police office, said all the passengers were rescued and sent to their destination by arranging for other vehicles.

One of the driving staff of the bus said that wiring short could have caused instant fire in the running bus.

Bimal Aryal, chief of the Prithvi Highway bust operators committee, Waling chapter, said technical study of the incident was underway and that the fire had burnt the bus completely.