Hyderabad: A fire broke out in a private travel bus near KPHB Colony late on Friday night, triggering panic among passengers and commuters. Officials said around 18 passengers were on board at the time, all of whom were evacuated safely, with no injuries reported.According to fire department officials, the incident occurred around 10.45 pm near Metro pillar No. 734, close to Padmavati Plaza in KPHB. The AC sleeper bus, operated by Sri Durga Maheshwari Travels, had started from Miyapur and was on its way to Palakollu in Andhra Pradesh. It briefly halted at the location to pick up passengers when the fire was first noticed.An official from the Kukatpally fire station said that, according to eyewitnesses and preliminary findings, flames initially erupted in the driver’s cabin, with an electrical short circuit suspected to be the cause. “Upon noticing smoke, the driver and bus staff immediately alerted passengers and evacuated them, preventing any casualties. Within minutes, the fire spread rapidly and damaged a large portion of the vehicle,” he added.On receiving information, two fire tenders from the Kukatpally fire station rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control in about 40 minutes. The incident caused heavy traffic congestion on the KPHB stretch for some time before traffic police cleared the area.
