Bus Carrying Uttarakhand Pilgrims Catches Fire In Madhya Pradesh, None Hurt

Pilgrims travelling to Uttarakhand for 'Char Dham Yatra' in a private bus from Maharashtra's Buldhana town had a providential escape when their vehicle suddenly caught fire on Friday here in Madhya Pradesh and was completely gutted, officials said.

No one was injured in the incident which took place in the afternoon as passengers quickly came out of the bus, which was totally gutted, a police official said.

A total of 30 passengers, including eight children, were on-board the ill-fated bus when it caught fire near Kolaras town in Shivpuri district, Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Vijay Yadav said.

As soon as the travellers noticed smoke emanating in the bus, they immediately came out, a woman passenger said.

Later, the bus was engulfed in flames which were doused by a fire tender, Yadav said, adding it appears the blaze was caused by an electrical short-circuit.

The luggage of the passengers bound for Uttarakhand was damaged in the fire, the official added.

A total of 60 passengers in two private buses had left from Buldhana town on May 15 for the popular pilgrimage to four sacred Hindu sites located in the Himalayas, he said. 

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