India, March 15 -- A potential tragedy was averted on the Pune-Ahilyanagar Road near Ranjangaon after a private passenger bus caught fire. All passengers managed to escape safely due to the prompt action of the driver and his assistant, said police.

The incident occurred around 5.30 pm on Friday. The bus, belonging to a private travel company, was travelling from Pune to Nagpur with 27 passengers on board.

Police have registered a case of accidental fire at Ranjangaon MIDC police station on Saturday.

Manoj Shamkant Upadhye, 42, a resident of Takli Pension Nagar in Nagpur and driver of the said bus, told police that he had started the journey from Sangamwadi Travels Bus Stop towards Nagpur. While the bus was passing through Ranjangaon, ...