Gwalior, Nov 25 (NationPress) In a harrowing situation that could have resulted in tragedy, a passenger bus carrying 45 individuals from Gurugram to Panna in Madhya Pradesh ignited late on Monday night on the Mumbai Highway in the vicinity of Gwalior's Old Cantonment police station.

The vehicle, identified as UP93 CT-6747, was incinerated into a charred wreck within moments. However, quick thinking by the driver and vigilant passengers ensured that no one was harmed.

The incident transpired around midnight as the bus entered Gwalior from the Morena district. Many passengers, including women and children, were preparing for a long night journey, with several already asleep, according to police reports.

Witnesses and survivors detailed how a vigilant passenger first noticed sparks emanating from a rear tire or possibly an electrical wire while the bus traveled through the poorly lit cantonment area.

Driver Anil Sharma, seasoned on this route, displayed incredible calmness. He maneuvered the bus onto the roadside, hitting the brakes just 200 meters from a fuel station, a potential disaster zone had the fire escalated.

"I realized we had mere seconds," Sharma recounted to reporters at the scene. "I shouted for everyone to use the rear exit first."

In a well-organized rush, passengers collected their belongings—handbags, shawls, and a few suitcases—jumping out into the cool November air.

Children cried as parents protected them, but the evacuation was systematic, concluding in under two minutes.

The fire, initially limited to the tire, flared up dramatically afterward, yet fortunately, the bus was already empty.

Fueled by the vehicle's electrical system and likely a wiring short circuit—often a common trigger in such incidents, according to recent transport safety studies—the fire spread through the cabin, consuming seats and breaking windows.

In 20 minutes, only smoke and twisted metal remained.

Authorities reported that some luggage, including clothes and electronics valued at thousands of rupees, was lost in the blaze, leaving families distraught.

Local police and fire services from the Old Cantonment station arrived within 10 minutes, their sirens echoing through the silent cantonment streets—a historic region once serving as a British military outpost, now a busy transit hub.

Despite their efforts, the flames had spread too far, and firefighters battled for over an hour to extinguish the wreckage, preventing it from reaching nearby roadside eateries.