Rajkot: Around 40 school students had a miraculous escape after a fire broke out in an Arya Vidyalaya school bus near the Mitana Bridge under the jurisdiction of the Tankara police station in Morbi district on Tuesday afternoon.The incident occurred while the bus was en route from Jabalpur village towards Tankara. According to officials, smoke began billowing from the engine compartment, sparking panic among the children and the driver. The driver promptly brought the vehicle to a halt.An emergency response team operating under the 112 helpline was stationed right at the Mitana Bridge. The four-member team—comprising two police officers and two Gram Rakshak Dal (GRD) personnel—rushed to the spot immediately to initiate rescue operations.The team swiftly evacuated all 40 children from the vehicle. The responders then attempted to douse the flames using the bus’s onboard fire-extinguishing equipment. However, the fire intensified rapidly and engulfed the entire vehicle, leaving the bus completely gutted.Tankara police inspector J D Zala confirmed that the fire originated in the engine compartment but the reasons are yet to be ascertained. A formal incident report has been registered at the Tankara police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
