Fire erupts in a passenger bus on 2nd Hooghly Bridge

Today, a routine morning commute turns into a nightmare as black smokes erupts from a crowded passenger bus in 2nd Hooghly Bridge, i.e, Vidyasagar Setu. The incident unfolded around 7 a.m. today morning when a passenger bus en route from Howrah's Amta to Dharmatala erupted in flames with a several number of passengers aboard. The quick alert passengers when few of them spotted the initial wisps of smoke and urged the driver to halt preventing what could have been a catastrophic tragedy amid peak traffic hours. As flames roared, the incident not only gutted the vehicle but also halted the traffic for nearly 45 minutes, turning the vital artery between Howrah and Kolkata into a standstill spectacle.

Reportedly, the black smoke poured out from an electrical panel of the bus triggering immediate panic among the riders. Shouting for the driver to pull over, the passengers bolted out as soon as the vehicle forced to a stop, followed swiftly by the driver and conductor. Within moments, the fire escalated into a ferocious blaze filling the air with thick, choking fumes. Hastings Police Station officers arrived swiftly, cordoning off the area, while two fire engines of battled the inferno for 30 minutes. By the time the flames were doused, the once-reliable transport was a charred skeleton, a stark reminder of how fragile safety can be on the road.

Preliminary investigations points to electrical short circuit according to police and fire officials. No injuries were reported yet, this incident underscores persistent concerns about aging vehicles and maintenance lapses on Kolkata's crowded routes. Cleanup crews towed away the wreckage while the traffic slowly normalized.