A tourist bus carrying 40 passengers was completely gutted near Mundakayam in Kottayam in the early hours of Tuesday.
The bus was returning from a pilgrimage to Tamil Nadu after recently leaving Kochi.
The bus left Madurai at 10.30 pm and reached Mundakayam around 3.30 am when the rear tire burst and caused a fire. The driver immediately stopped the vehicle and smoke could be seen rising from the bus. The passengers were quickly evacuated and within minutes the bus was engulfed in flames.
Fire and rescue personnel from Kanjirapalla reached the spot and extinguished the fire. However, the bus was completely destroyed. Most of the passengers were from Ernakulam and Kottayam districts. No injuries were reported. The stranded passengers were later accommodated in another bus to continue their journey.
Published – 03 Feb 2026 20:45 IST