Mandya: About 15 passengers of a private bus had a miraculous escape, when the bus caught fire at Kolli Circle in Maddur in the wee hours yesterday.

It is learnt that the private bus (KA-01-AC-4259) belonging to SRS Travels was ferrying 15 workers from Bidadi Industrial Area towards Mandya and Mysuru on Wednesday late night.

When the bus reached Kolli Circle in Maddur at about 1.30 am on Thursday, the driver and the passengers got the smell of something burning and the driver stopped the bus.

On inspecting, the driver noticed fire near the engine and informed the passengers to alight from the bus. Within minutes, the fire engulfed the bus resulting in tension on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway for sometime. Though Fire and Emergency Services personnel rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire, the bus was completely gutted.

Maddur Police have registered a case in this regard.