TNSTC Bus Catches Fire After Engine Smoke Near Sattur, Virudhunagar

A Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus operating on the Nagercoil–Madurai route was gutted by fire near Sattur in Virudhunagar district on Sunday evening. All 74 passengers on board escaped unhurt after the driver noticed smoke from the engine compartment and stopped the vehicle near the Sattur tollgate around 7.30 pm.

The TNSTC bus fire incident occurred on the Sattur–Virudhunagar road, approximately 200 metres from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) toll plaza at Etturvattam. Police said the bus was fully occupied and heading towards Madurai when the driver detected smoke emanating from the front bonnet.

Officials said the driver immediately pulled the bus to the roadside and instructed all passengers to deboard. Within moments of the evacuation, the fire intensified and spread rapidly across the vehicle.

Police and fire service personnel from the local fire and rescue station rushed to the spot after receiving information. Firefighters managed to douse the flames, but by then the bus had been completely gutted.

“The driver noticed smoke emanating from the front bonnet and stopped the bus immediately, asking all passengers to get down,” a police official said.

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According to the police, none of the passengers sustained injuries in the incident. However, several bags and personal belongings kept inside the bus were destroyed in the fire. The extent of the property loss is being assessed.

Traffic on the Sattur–Virudhunagar stretch was temporarily affected while firefighting operations were carried out and the burnt vehicle was cleared from the road. Police personnel regulated traffic and secured the area during the operation.

The bus was operated by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation and was part of the regular intercity service between Nagercoil and Madurai. Officials said passenger details were recorded at the scene as part of standard procedure.

Following the incident, the transport corporation arranged an alternate bus to enable the stranded passengers to continue their journey to Madurai later in the evening.

Vachakarapatti police have registered a complaint based on information received from officials at the spot. An investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the fire.

Police said preliminary inquiries are focusing on the engine compartment, where smoke was first noticed by the driver. Technical inspections of the burnt vehicle will be carried out as part of the investigation.

Authorities said further details will be known after the investigation and examination of the vehicle are completed.