Over 100 Passengers Escape Safely as APSRTC Bus Catches Fire in Vizag

Over 100 passengers escaped unharmed after an APSRTC bus bound for Vizianagaram caught fire near the Fourth Town police station signal point at Akkayyapalem on Friday morning.

The fire broke out while the bus was stopped at the traffic signal. An alert auto-rickshaw driver noticed smoke and immediately informed the bus driver and conductor, who safely evacuated all passengers.

No injuries were reported. Preliminary investigations indicate that a short circuit may have triggered the fire. The bus was travelling from Kurmanapalem to Vizianagaram when the incident occurred. Police and emergency personnel reached the site promptly to investigate.

APSRTC Regional Manager Appala Naidu confirmed there were no casualties. “The bus staff acted quickly to alert and evacuate passengers. A thorough investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the electrical short circuit and prevent similar incidents in the future,” he said.

Transport Minister Mandinapalli Ramprasad Reddy instructed officials to take immediate action to ensure such incidents do not recur, according to an official statement.