Eighteen passengers had a narrow escape after an electric bus operated by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) caught fire near Bilikere, about 20 km from Mysuru, on Saturday evening. The bus was destroyed in the blaze.

The incident occurred around 5.40 p.m. when the bus was travelling to Bengaluru from Virajpet.

KSRTC Divisional Controller (Mysuru Rural Division) Veeresh H.T. said the driver noticed flames coming from one of the tyres after the brakes jammed and immediately stopped the bus on the roadside. The passengers were evacuated safely.

Though the bus crew reportedly tried to douse the fire using fire extinguishers, the flames soon spread, following which fire and emergency personnel were summoned. They brought the fire under control after a while.

The electric bus belonged to the KSRTC Central Division (BCD-4) in Bengaluru.

According to a senior KSRTC official in Bengaluru, the crew ensured that all passengers disembarked before the fire spread through the vehicle. The official said that no passenger or member of the driving crew sustained injuries in the incident.

Following the incident, KSRTC made arrangements to ensure that the affected passengers could continue their journey. The passengers were accommodated in other corporation buses operating on the same route and sent onward to their destinations