Thirty tourists narrowly escaped after a Dhaka-bound bus from Cox’s Bazar caught fire in Ramu early Saturday.
The fire broke out around 1.00am on an air-conditioned bus operated by Icon Paribahan near N Alam Filling Station, west of Kalaghar Bazar in Ramu.
The bus had left Cox’s Bazar for Dhaka shortly before the incident.
Passengers said they first noticed a burning smell inside the bus before flames appeared, triggering panic among the travellers.
Local people quickly came to their rescue, breaking the bus windows and helping all 30 passengers get out safely.
Firefighters from Ramu Fire Service and Civil Defence later brought the blaze under control. No one suffered injuries.
Sohel Rana, who had travelled to Cox’s Bazar with seven members of his family, said the passengers escaped a major tragedy because local people quickly broke the windows and helped them leave the burning bus.
Another passenger, Mohammad Ali, said, “We first smelled something burning and then saw the fire. But the driver and his assistant did not tell us anything at first. We were lucky to survive.”
Ramu Fire Service and Civil Defence Station Officer Md Abdul Kader Chowdhury said an initial assessment suggested that a mechanical fault and engine overheating may have caused the fire.
Ramu Highway Crossing Police Station Sub-Inspector Mohammad Parvez said police reached the scene within about 10 minutes of receiving the information and helped ensure the passengers’ safety.
The bus authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. Police and local sources said the authorities later arranged alternative transport for the passengers to continue their journey to Dhaka.
