A terrifying incident unfolded on the Rajgir-Giriyak road in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Saturday, where a bus carrying around 50 schoolchildren from Lakhisarai erupted in flames. What could have been a tragic disaster turned into a tale of heroism thanks to the quick thinking of the bus driver.
The children, students of Garua-Pursanda Middle School in Lakhisarai, were on an educational trip to Rajgir. As the bus approached the Ordnance Factory Gate No. 2, thick smoke and sparks began billowing from the engine. Alert passersby shouted warnings to the driver, prompting immediate action.
Driver Heeralal, sensing the grave danger, swiftly pulled the vehicle to the roadside. In a matter of seconds, amidst screams and chaos, he evacuated all 50 students and accompanying teachers safely. The bus quickly transformed into a raging inferno, but everyone was out just in time.
Local heroics amplified the rescue efforts. Rahul Kumar, owner of a nearby Surf factory, rushed to the scene with his workers, armed with fire extinguishers and dolomite powder. Their combined efforts, alongside other locals, eventually doused the flames. Firefighters arrived shortly after to fully extinguish the fire.
The children, visibly shaken by the close call, were provided with another bus and sent back home to Lakhisarai. Preliminary investigations point to a possible short circuit as the cause, with authorities probing further. Heeralal’s calm under pressure has earned him the title of ‘messiah’ among the grateful families.