A passenger microbus travelling from Bandarban to Nilgiri caught fire on the way and was completely burnt down, turning into a “skeleton”. However, the driver and 10 passengers escaped unhurt.
The incident took place around 12pm on Friday at the Shailopropat tourist spot area, about six kilometres from Bandarban town centre.
Following the incident, the passengers left the area immediately, and no further details could be obtained on the spot.
Eyewitness Ringlong Bom said the driver noticed the fire and quickly stopped the vehicle by the roadside. All passengers got down swiftly, and no one was injured.
Bandarban Fire Service and Civil Defence Assistant Director Abdul Mannan Ansari said they rushed to the spot after receiving information about a fire in a tourist vehicle on the Chimbuk road in Shailopropat. By the time they arrived, the vehicle had already burnt down completely.
He said a group of 11 tourists from Gazipur was travelling to the Nilgiri tourist centre from Bandarban through the Bandarban–Thanchi road in a Noah vehicle when the incident occurred.
Bandarban Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahid Parvez said police teams were sent to the spot after receiving the news.
“We are investigating the matter seriously,” he said.
Local drivers said the area has experienced extreme heat for the past four to five days, making it difficult to drive on the bitumen road. They said the driver, likely unfamiliar with the route, may have been driving uphill with the AC switched on during the heat.
An engine mechanic said the fire likely started in the engine and then spread across the vehicle, possibly due to a fuel line leakage.
