Electric Bus Burns to the Ground After Brake Jams, 16 Passengers Escape

A KSRTC electric bus carrying 16 passengers was completely destroyed by fire after a brake problem caused one of its rear tires to overheat near Mysuru, India. Everyone on board managed to get out before the flames spread through the vehicle.

The incident happened on Saturday on the Mysuru-Hunsur main road, close to Rangayanakoppalu in the Bilikere area of Karnataka. The Power Plus electric bus was travelling from Virajpet in Kodagu district toward Mysuru, passing through Gonikoppa and Hunsur.

At around 5:15 p.m., the brake on the rear right wheel reportedly jammed while the bus was moving. Friction caused the tire to become extremely hot and it eventually caught fire.

Driver Ramachandraiah noticed what was happening and immediately pulled the bus over. He told the passengers to leave the vehicle, allowing all 16 people to get out without injuries before the situation became much worse.

After the evacuation, the fire service was called. People at the scene also tried to control the flames around the rear wheel. The fire, however, began spreading rapidly as strong winds pushed it toward other parts of the bus.

The flames eventually reached the battery area. From that point, the fire grew quickly and engulfed the electric bus. By the time two fire engines arrived, much of the vehicle had already been destroyed.

Traffic on the road was temporarily stopped while the bus was burning. The stretch where the incident happened is narrow, and vehicles were kept away because authorities were concerned about the possibility of an explosion involving the battery.

Firefighters later brought the blaze under control and traffic was allowed to move again.

KSRTC Rural Division Controller H.T. Veeresh and officers from Bilikere police visited the site after the fire. According to Veeresh, arrangements were made for the passengers to continue their trip on another bus.

No passenger was reported injured in the incident. The electric bus itself was left almost completely burned out.