An omni bus caught fire after one of its rear tyres burst on the Chennai – Tiruchi national highway at Chinnar in the district in the early hours on Thursday. There was no injury to any passenger or the bus crew. The bus with 23 passengers was on its way to Tirunelveli from Chennai when the incident occurred. 

The bus driver on being alerted about smoke emanating after one of the tyres burst slowed down the vehicle and parked it on the road side. Passengers immediately rushed out of the vehicle which caught fire.

Acting on an alert, a team of firefighters from Perambalur station rushed to the spot to put out the fire. However, the vehicle was gutted, said a Fire and Rescue Service Department official.