Fire breaks out on moving bus on expressway, passengers escape unhurt

A passenger bus caught fire while traveling on the Dhaka–Mawa Expressway late at night, but all passengers narrowly escaped after the blaze was brought under control by the Fire Service.

The incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday (June 29) in Sirajdikhan upazila of Munshiganj. No casualties were reported.

According to the Fire Service and local sources, the passenger bus, operated by Mawa Evergreen Paribahan, was traveling from Gulistan in Dhaka to Mawa when it suddenly caught fire after reaching the Sirajdikhan section of the expressway.

Preliminary findings suggest that the fire may have originated from a mechanical or electrical malfunction before quickly spreading to the vehicle's fuel tank. However, all passengers managed to evacuate the bus safely immediately after the fire broke out.

After receiving the emergency call, two units of the Munshiganj Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control. Although no one was injured, the bus sustained extensive damage.

According to the Fire Service's preliminary assessment, the fire caused an estimated Tk 500,000 (5 lakh) in damages.

Muhammad Shafiqul Islam, Deputy Assistant Director of the Munshiganj Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that two firefighting units responded immediately after receiving the report and were able to completely extinguish the blaze within a short time.

He added that the prompt response of firefighters prevented what could have become a much more serious accident and ensured that there were no casualties.