Pathanamthitta: A moving Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus on the Sabarimala pilgrimage route caught fire early Sunday morning in Pathanamthitta. No loss of life or injury has been reported in the incident.
According to sources, the incident occurred around 5:30 am on Sunday at Attathodu area when the empty bus was traveling from Pampa to Nilakkal to pick up Sabarimala pilgrims for the pilgrimage. It is learnt that the driver noticed smoke and stopped the vehicle, which was soon engulfed by raging flames. The driver and conductor attempted to douse the fire with fire extinguishers. However, the fire was massive and damaged the vehicle. While the vehicle sustained partial damage, no injuries were reported in the incident. Passerby soon informed the police and fire force officials after which three fire brigades were rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire.
An official said that the bus had been brought from the Perumbavoor depot to ferry the Sabarimala pilgrims along the Pampa-Nilakkal route. While police did not confirm the actual cause of the fire, it is believed that a short circuit triggered the fire. It can be recalled that during the last pilgrimage season, three buses were destroyed by fire in a similar manner. The Fire Force stated that if there had been pilgrims inside the buses, a major disaster could have occurred.
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