LUCKNOW, April 11 -- Four schoolchildren and a van driver narrowly escaped after their vehicle suddenly caught fire and turned into a fireball while in motion in Muzaffarnagar district on Friday morning, police said.

Muzaffarnagar additional superintendent of police (ASP) Amrit Jain said the incident took place around 8 am in the Purkazi area, when a private school van was picking up children from their homes. Police and eyewitnesses suspect the fire was caused by a short circuit.

Officials said the driver initially did not realise the vehicle had caught fire. However, when smoke began filling the van, the children started screaming, alerting him to the danger. Acting swiftly, the driver stopped the vehicle and quickly evacuated the chi...