Pune: Sleeper Coach Bus Catches Fire on Pune Satara Highway; All Passengers Escape Safely
Pune, Maharashtra: A major fire broke out in a sleeper coach bus near the Anewadi toll booth on the Satara-Pune highway on Wednesday morning, completely destroying the vehicle. The bus was carrying approximately 50 passengers at the time of the incident, including, according to some media reports, around 32 students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Fortunately, all passengers managed to escape unharmed, thanks to the prompt actions of the bus driver.
The incident occurred around 9:30 AM when the driver noticed flames erupting from the rear of the bus. Reacting swiftly, he pulled the vehicle onto the service road and immediately instructed all passengers to evacuate. Despite the sudden panic, everyone on board managed to exit safely, with some passengers even retrieving their belongings before the fire spread.
Pune, Maharashtra: A fire broke out in a sleeper coach bus near Anewadi toll booth on the Satara-Pune highway, destroying the coach. 50 passengers were on board at the time of the incident pic.twitter.com/Sxyf5MIPcM
— IANS (@ians_india) March 5, 2025
Local residents quickly alerted the fire department, and firefighters arrived at the scene within minutes to douse the flames. While the bus was severely damaged, with its seats and interior completely gutted, no injuries were reported.
Authorities, including District Traffic Branch Police Inspector Vikas Dhas and Assistant Police Inspector Ramesh Garje of Bhuinj Police Station, responded promptly to the scene. They arranged alternate transportation for the passengers, ensuring their journey could continue without further disruption.
As of now, the cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the incident has not been officially reported to the Bhuinj Police Station. Passengers, including the IIT Bombay students, expressed relief at escaping unharmed and praised the driver’s quick thinking and the support of local authorities.
This incident highlights the importance of vigilance and emergency preparedness during travel, especially on busy highways.
