Overview
- A private Rainbow Travels bus bound for Kakinada caught fire on National Highway 65 near Peddakaparthi in the early hours of May 30 after smoke was seen under the gearbox.
- The driver and cleaner immediately stopped the bus, opened emergency exits and helped all 36 passengers disembark unharmed before flames spread through the vehicle.
- Local police and a fire tender reached the scene and brought the blaze under control but the bus was completely gutted within minutes.
- Officials have registered a police case and opened an investigation into the cause, with a short circuit in the front/engine area reported as the likely trigger.
- The incident highlights the speed at which fires can spread in passenger coaches and underscores the importance of crew training, working emergency exits and rapid local firefighting response.