Passenger coach gutted in Gadani fire

KHUZDAR: A passenger coach was destroyed after it caught fire near the Gadani area of Hub district on Monday while travelling from Panjgur to Karachi, according to police.

Police said the vehicle had been coming from the Panjgur area of Makran and was heading towards Karachi when the blaze erupted after it reached Gadani. Officials said the fire spread rapidly and consumed the coach within minutes. They said there were no casualties in the incident because no passengers were on board the coach at the time. The driver and the cleaner escaped by jumping from the vehicle, police said.

Police attributed the cause of the fire to the presence of smuggled Iranian petrol loaded in the coach. The vehicle was gutted in the incident.

Deputy Commissioner Hub Juma Dad Khan Mandokhail and Hub SP Muhammad Baloch reached the site soon after the incident, while rescue teams also responded and managed to bring the fire under control.

Police said the driver and the cleaner of the coach had been arrested. They added that an investigation into the incident was under way.

Officials respond at the scene

According to police, the response began immediately after the fire was reported near Gadani. Senior district officials, including the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police, visited the area as rescue personnel worked to contain the blaze.

The incident occurred on a route linking Panjgur with Karachi. Police said the coach had no passengers on board, which prevented any loss of life despite the speed with which the fire spread through the vehicle.

The authorities have not reported any casualties, and the focus has shifted to the investigation after the arrest of the two crew members. Police have specifically said the suspected cause was smuggled Iranian petrol present in the coach.

The case remains under investigation.