Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
A bus carrying Shri Amarnath Yatra pilgrims caught fire on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) near Karool in Ramban district on Wednesday. All 47 occupants, including the driver and conductor, were safely evacuated without any injuries, officials said.
The sleeper bus (Registration No. RJ27PC-9921), carrying pilgrims from Rajasthan, was travelling from Srinagar to Jammu when it caught fire near Karool.
Police, the CRPF, the Army, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Civil QRT Ramban volunteers and other emergency responders rushed to the spot and launched coordinated rescue and firefighting operations. The passengers were evacuated safely before the fire spread, and no casualties were reported.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, confirmed that all 47 occupants escaped unharmed. He said the fire broke out shortly after one of the bus’s tyres reportedly burst, though the exact cause of the blaze is yet to be established.
The Deputy Commissioner added that the stranded pilgrims were being shifted to another bus to continue their journey to Jammu.
The incident briefly disrupted traffic on the busy Jammu-Srinagar National Highway as firefighting operations were underway. However, normal vehicular movement was restored after the fire was brought under control.
