Bengaluru, 6 Feb

Thirty passengers had a narrow escape on Friday when a private sleeper bus they were travelling in allegedly veered off the road, fell into a ditch and later caught fire on the outskirts of the city, police said.

The incident occurred near Nelamangala on the Bengaluru-Tumakuru highway, they said.

According to police, the accident was allegedly caused due to the driver's negligence, with the bus first hitting an electric pole before plunging into a ditch.

A suspected short-circuit is said to have triggered the fire. Soon after the accident, all the passengers managed to get out of the bus on their own before the flames spread, a senior police officer said.

However, it is yet to be ascertained whether the driver fell asleep at the wheel, leading to the vehicle hitting the electric pole. The exact cause of the accident is part of the ongoing investigation, he said.

"The Nelamangala traffic police and fire personnel rushed to the spot and doused the blaze. However, the bus was completely gutted," he added.

A case has been registered and further investigation is underway, police said.