Passengers of a Dhaka-bound sleeper bus narrowly escaped after its engine caught fire on the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar highway in Ramu upazila late Friday night.
The incident occurred around 11:45pm in front of N Alam Filling Station at Kalghar Bazar. No casualties were reported as locals broke the windows and rescued the passengers.
Inspector Sukanta Chakraborty of Ramu Highway Crossing Police Station said the bus, operated by Iconic Paribahan, had left Cox’s Bazar for Dhaka when its engine suddenly caught fire.
The bus helper, aided by locals, tried to douse the flames with water and extinguishers from the nearby filling station. Later, both the driver and assistant fled the scene, leaving the bus behind.
The fire triggered panic among passengers trapped inside. Locals rescued them by breaking windows and managed to put out the blaze before fire service teams arrived.
Inspector Sukanta said the fire was initially suspected to have originated from a mechanical fault. “Police are investigating to determine the exact cause,” he added.
The damaged bus has since been recovered and handed over to Ramu Police Station. Legal action will follow after a full investigation.
