KSRTC bus carrying tourists catches fire in Kottayam; all 28 passengers escape unhurt

In an incident that has raised serious safety concerns, a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus operating a tourist service under the Budget Tourism Cell was completely gutted by fire in Kottayam in the early hours of Wednesday (December 31, 2025). All 28 passengers on board escaped unhurt.

The Super Deluxe bus from the Malappuram depot was carrying a group of tourists, all natives of Malappuram, on a budget tour organised by KSRTC to Gavi in Pathanamthitta district.

Passengers spot smoke

The incident occurred at Kunnathupuzha, Pazhayidam, near Manimala, while the bus was en route to Gavi via Ranni. Passengers noticed smoke billowing from the rear side of the vehicle and immediately alerted the driver. The passengers, including women and children, were immediately evacuated and were able to remove their luggage before the fire spread.

A Fire and Rescue Services team from the Kanjirappally fire station, alerted by the Ponkunnam police station, rushed to the spot. However, by the time they arrived, the bus was fully engulfed in flames. “The bus was completely destroyed, with only three tyres, the diesel tank and the battery remaining intact,” an official said.

KSRTC later arranged a replacement bus from the Ponkunnam depot, enabling the passengers to continue their journey to Gavi. A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause of the fire.

In April this year, a KSRTC Budget Tourism Cell bus carrying 38 tourists from Chadayamangalam to Gavi broke down at a remote location near Moozhiyar. Though a replacement bus was dispatched, it too developed a technical fault shortly after reaching the stranded tourists, leaving them stranded in the forest for several hours. Following the incident, the corporation introduced a new protocol to ensure the roadworthiness of vehicles deployed under the Budget Tourism Cell for trips to the destination.