Twenty-seven students were safely evacuated after their school bus caught fire on the Chennai–Tiruchy National Highway near Paranur in Chengalpet on Saturday morning. No student was injured in the incident, which was brought under control before the bus suffered major damage.
The students, mostly from villages around Chengalpet, were travelling to Maharishi Vidya Mandir at Eesankaranai when smoke and sparks emerged from the bus engine. The driver stopped the vehicle on the roadside after noticing the problem and opened all the doors, including the emergency exit, to move the students out.
The driver then used the fire extinguisher kept inside the bus to control the flames. Drivers of buses operated by a nearby private factory also stopped and assisted in bringing the fire under control. The response prevented the fire from spreading while the students were still inside the vehicle.
The incident placed immediate attention on the safety arrangements required for school transport operating on a busy national highway and serving children travelling from villages to an educational institution. In this case, the availability of an extinguisher, access to the emergency exit and the decision to stop the bus quickly helped the evacuation, according to the report.
After the students were evacuated, the school management arranged an alternative bus to take them to school. The students were reported to be safe, and no injuries were recorded.
The Singaperumal Koil police have registered a case and begun an investigation. The cause of the smoke and sparks from the engine and the circumstances leading to the fire are yet to be established.
