Overview
- The private overnight bus struck an electric pole near Hanumanthapura Gate on the Nelamangala stretch of NH-48 shortly after midnight on Friday.
- Roughly 30 people evacuated before flames engulfed the vehicle, with police confirming that all passengers and crew are safe.
- Fire services deployed two tenders and extinguished the blaze in about two hours, but the bus was completely gutted.
- Police say the cause is under investigation, with lines of inquiry including an electrical short-circuit and possible driver negligence such as fatigue.
- The service had departed Bengaluru late Thursday for northern Karnataka, and traffic police and fire crews responded on scene to secure the busy highway.