In a bizarre fire accident, a city private bus was gutted after ploughing into a motorcycle near Hampankatta signal on Friday.
The passengers inside the bus and the two-wheeler rider had a miraculous escape.
The two-wheeler rider identified as Dylone (26) from Ballalbagh who suffered injuries was admitted to a hospital for treatment.
Dylone was working in the office of a chartered accountant in Valencia. The friction caused by the petrol tank of the two-wheeler while being dragged by the bus had triggered the fire, Mangaluru Commissioner of Police N Shashi Kumar said quoting eyewitnesses.
The bus seats were completely damaged in the fire, he added.
"Police are verifying the CCTV footage in order to ascertain what exactly had happened and how the fire accident took place. There is no mischief or enmity involved in it," the commissioner clarified.
The bus after knocking down Dylone had caught fire while dragging the motorcycle upto a few meters before coming to a halt near the Hamapnkatta signal.
There were 28 to 30 passengers travelling in the bus, plying from Gurpura-Kaikamba to the State Bank area in Mangaluru. On noticing the fire, all passengers were told to go out of the bus.
As soon as the fire was noticed, water from a water tanker plying close by was pumped out to douse the fire before fire tenders reached the spot. Fire service personnel rushed to the spot and succeeded in dousing the fire within a few minutes.
As labourers were travelling in the ill-fated bus, groceries, vegetables, vessels and clothes belonging to the passengers were found scattered inside the bus.
A huge number of people had gathered near the median of the road, in order to catch a glimpse of the fire extinguishing operation. Many were even seen clicking photos and making videos through their mobile phones.
Following the incident, the movement of vehicles was stopped from the Hampankatta signal to the State Bank area.
Vehicles were diverted from Hampankatta signal towards Railway Station Road to reach Town Hall. The traffic congestion that lasted for over 30 minutes caused inconvenience to motorists.