30 injured as Odisha-bound bus catches fire in West Bengal

Kolkata, November 11

At least 30 people were injured after a luxury bus bound for Odisha’s Paradip caught fire in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district, police said.

The incident took place when the bus, which departed Babughat in Kolkata around 5 pm, reached Madhabpur area around 10 pm on Friday, a police officer said, adding the AC bus was moving slowly.

At least 30 people travelling in the bus tried to rush out of the vehicle by smashing side windows. Some of them fell into a roadside ditch. Several of them were admitted to nearby hospitals.

The driver and the helper also jumped out of the vehicle after stopping it, he said.

Fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, the official said, adding the cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained.