A Dhaka-bound passenger bus caught fire on Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj today, leaving five injured on board.

The incident took place around 1:00pm when the bus of Jatri Sheba Paribahan with 45 passengers on board caught fire in Baluakandi area. Five passengers sustained injuries while trying to get off the bus to escape from the fire, reports our Munshiganj correspondent quoting fire service officials.

The fire was caused due to leakage and spark in the gas cylinder of the bus, said Saidur Rahman Khan, team leader of Gazaria Fire Service Station.

On information, firefighters rushed to the spot around 1:20pm and managed to completely extinguish the fire after trying for about 20 minutes, the official said.

As the bus caught fire, the driver stopped the bus on the side of the highway, and passengers immediately got off. At that time, five passengers were injured while rushing to get off the bus. All the seats inside the bus have been burnt to ashes, Saidur Rahman added.

According to eyewitnesses, smoke was coming out of the bus from the driver's side. At this, the driver shouted and told everyone to get off the bus quickly. Some passengers, including children, jumped out of the bus windows. The passengers managed to get off the bus before the fire spread inside.

The incident caused a slowdown of traffic on the highway for about two hours until highway police personnel moved the bus from the spot using a wrecker, the witnesses said.

Confirming the incident, Sub-Inspector Sayrul of Bhaberchar Highway Police Outpost told The Daily Star that the bus driver fled from the scene after the incident.

The bus has been moved from the spot to ease traffic movement, he added.