At least 30 passengers survived when the bus in which they were traveling caught fire at Porayar in Mayiladuthurai district on Friday morning, police said.
The Puducherry Road Transport Corporation (PRTC)-owned bus was on its way from Mayiladuthurai to Karaikal with 30 passengers when the incident took place.
Police said the bus had left the Porayar bus stand minutes before the fire broke out.
The driver suddenly noticed a thick cloud of smoke emanating from the engine and stopped the bus on the roadside.
All passengers and crew disembarked immediately.
Fire tenders from Porayar fire station reached the spot and doused the fire.
The entire front part of the bus was gutted in the fire.
Police said that no one was injured in the incident.
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