A long-distance passenger bus caught fire on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway early Thursday morning, triggering a major emergency but ending without injuries after the driver quickly evacuated all 14 passengers.

The incident took place at around 7:25 am near kilometre 16.600 on the Mumbai-bound carriageway. The bus, which was registered in Madhya Pradesh, was travelling from Udaipur in Rajasthan towards Pune when the driver noticed smoke coming from the vehicle.

According to police, the driver, identified as Chhatrapal Singh Kishor Singh Vahia, reacted immediately after detecting the smoke. He pulled the bus over and ensured that all passengers got off the vehicle before the flames could spread further.

The driver also attempted to contain the fire using the fire extinguisher kept inside the bus. However, the blaze intensified rapidly and eventually engulfed the entire vehicle.

Firefighting teams were subsequently dispatched to the location. A Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation firefighting vehicle, along with fire engines from the New Panvel and Khopoli fire brigades, reached the spot and worked to bring the flames under control.

The fire was eventually extinguished by the emergency teams. No passenger was reported injured in the incident.

Police from the Rasayani police station also reached the location and initiated the necessary proceedings. Officers asked the bus driver to lodge a formal complaint regarding the incident.

Fire breaks out hours after Greater Noida bus tragedy

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway incident occurred only a few hours after another serious bus fire was reported on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

In that incident, a long-distance bus travelling from Noida towards Bihar caught fire at around 11 pm on Wednesday. Nine passengers were killed after they were unable to escape the burning vehicle.

Police investigating the Greater Noida incident said the fire appeared to have originated in the bus’s air-conditioning system. Passengers reportedly noticed a burning smell and raised an alarm, asking the driver to stop the vehicle.

However, by the time the bus was brought to a halt, the fire had already broken out and spread quickly. The bus was carrying 35 passengers, and nine people, including a woman, died in the incident.

The two incidents, occurring within roughly 12 hours of each other, have drawn attention to fire-related risks involving long-distance passenger buses, particularly the importance of early detection and rapid evacuation.

In the Mumbai incident, the driver’s decision to stop the vehicle as soon as he noticed smoke allowed the passengers to leave safely before the fire became uncontrollable.

Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire and determine how the blaze began. The exact cause of the Mumbai-bound bus fire had not been established at the time of reporting.

For the passengers travelling from Udaipur to Pune, the incident ended without casualties, despite the bus being completely consumed by flames. The quick evacuation ensured that all 14 people on board escaped unharmed.