Thiruvananthapuram | Passengers of a KSRTC bus escaped unhurt when the vehicle caught fire after breaking down on a busy national highway here on Saturday.

Timely intervention and presence of mind of the driver and conductor helped the passengers exit the bus before the flames spread, an eyewitness said.

The state-run bus, operating along the Attingal-Thiruvananthapuram route, broke down suddenly after it reached Chempakamangalam near here.

There were several passengers onboard the bus when the driver and the conductor got down to inspect the vehicle and detected a snag.

"They asked all passengers to get down from the vehicle and later sought the help of some locals to push it to the side of the road," a police officer told PTI.

ome passersby noticed smoke emanating from beneath the vehicle and alerted the driver, who turned off the engine and asked all passengers to move to safety.

A massive fire engulfed the vehicle in no time sending thick black smoke up in the air, the officer added.

The bus was gutted completely before the fire service personnel reached the spot to douse the flames. The incident disrupted traffic on the stretch for some time.

The reason for the fire could be ascertained only after a detailed scientific examination, fire force sources said.