Smoke-spewing Volvo bus sparks panic

BANGALORE: Panic gripped passengers of a BMTC Volvo bus when it began billowing out smoke from its undercarriage at KR Circle in front of S J Polytechnic on Tuesday night.
A loud thud preceded the smoke. Commuters got the fright of their lives and scooted to safety. No casualties were reported. The bus was plying between Majestic and Electronics City.
Police said the smoke was noticed by motorists around 9.50 pm in the moving bus and they got the driver to stop the vehicle. The fire control room was alerted. By the time the fire tender reached the spot, the smoke stopped as the driver switched off the engine.
"The smoke was due to a short circuit in the battery of the bus," a fire officer told TOI.
The ping tank had exploded. Air pressure in the tank built up after the passengers closed the AC ducts from inside and it started leaking. There were only a few passengers and everyone was safe, a BMTC official said.
The transport utility has informed Volvo company about the incident.