A Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus operating on the Palampur–Chowki Khalet route was completely gutted after catching fire on Friday morning. All passengers, along with the driver and conductor, escaped safely before the flames engulfed the vehicle.

No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire spread rapidly through the bus, leaving little chance to save the vehicle. Firefighters later brought the blaze under control. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Palampur, OP Yadav, confirmed that all passengers and crew members were safe.

“A major tragedy was averted as everyone managed to get out of the bus before it was engulfed in flames,” he said.

The SDM added HRTC officials have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.

The bus was reportedly an ageing vehicle that had completed its prescribed operational mileage. The incident has raised concerns over the continued operation of old buses in the HRTC fleet and raised questions about passenger safety.

Local residents and commuters questioned why buses that have exceeded their recommended service life are still being deployed on passenger routes. They alleged that operating such ageing vehicles compromises passenger safety and urged the state government and HRTC management to replace obsolete buses with newer vehicles at the earliest.

The incident has also highlighted the need for regular maintenance, timely replacement of ageing buses, and stringent safety inspections to prevent similar accidents in the future.