Kanpur: Around 40 passengers escaped unharmed after a private double-decker bus travelling from Delhi to Rath in Hamirpur caught fire on the Agra-Kanpur National Highway in Etawah early Monday. The blaze engulfed the bus and destroyed passengers’ belongings, including gold and silver jewellery and other important items, while firefighters took more than two hours to bring it under control.The bus caught fire in front of Siya Devi Memorial Hospital in the Friends Colony police station area. Flames quickly engulfed the vehicle, causing panic among passengers.Police, administration and fire department teams reached the spot, while several fire tenders were sent from the headquarters. Firefighters brought the blaze under control after more than two hours.CO City Avneesh Kumar Singh said a short circuit was suspected to have caused the fire. Police have started an investigation and legal action is being taken.Passengers claimed that belongings worth lakhs of rupees, including gold and silver jewellery and other important items, were destroyed. After the fire was extinguished, several passengers searched around the bus and tried to retrieve their remaining belongings.The driver and operator fled after the incident. Authorities arranged other vehicles to take the passengers to their destinations.
