A school bus carrying 17 students caught fire on Wednesday afternoon in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh, but all passengers escaped safely thanks to the driver's quick response.
The incident occurred in the Partapur police station area when the bus was returning from St. Patrick's School to drop children at their homes. The vehicle was carrying the driver, a helper, and 17 students when the fire broke out.
According to reports, the driver immediately stopped the vehicle after noticing smoke emanating from the bus, allowing everyone on board to evacuate safely before the flames engulfed the vehicle completely.
Dramatic footage circulating on social media shows the bus transformed into a massive fireball.
The fire reportedly started after a loud sound was heard from the vehicle. Upon receiving information about the incident, fire brigade teams rushed to the spot and successfully brought the blaze under control.
The Uttar Pradesh Fire & Emergency Services issued a statement confirming the incident, "Necessary action has been taken regarding the said incident and the fire has been completely extinguished. No casualties occurred in this incident."
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. The incident has been registered under the Partapur police station jurisdiction.
The quick response by the driver and the timely evacuation of all passengers prevented what could have been a major tragedy involving school children.
