A major fire broke out on a double-decker bus owned by the Gunung Harta bus company on the Madiun-Nganjuk Toll Road. The incident, which briefly caused panic among toll road users, reportedly resulted in no casualties thanks to the prompt actions of the bus crew in quickly evacuating all passengers.
The incident began while the bus was traveling along its route. The driver reportedly detected a technical anomaly, followed by thick smoke emerging from the engine compartment at the rear of the vehicle. Realizing the imminent danger, the driver immediately steered the vehicle to the shoulder of the road to make an emergency stop.
Shortly after the bus pulled over, the crew acted swiftly, instructing all passengers to evacuate immediately. This quick response proved crucial, as the fire rapidly grew and engulfed the entire body of the double-decker bus before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Highway Patrol (PJR) officers of the East Java Regional Police, along with the toll road operator's rescue team, immediately secured traffic flow around the scene to prevent gridlock. Extinguishing efforts were carried out by local firefighters, and the flames were eventually brought under control shortly after.
As of now, authorities are still conducting a further investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. Preliminary suspicion points to a short circuit in the electrical system of the vehicle's rear engine compartment.
