Ludhiana, Oct. 26 -- A serious accident was narrowly averted in Kochhar Market on Friday night when a bus ferrying 55 students from Sangrur, who had come to participate in the 69th inter-district school tournament in Ludhiana, got entangled in low-hanging high-tension wires. The incident triggered heavy sparking and a brief power outage in the area. According to police, the incident occurred when the students were returning to their accommodation at Guru Nanak Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Gujarkhan campus, from Guru Nanak Stadium after registering for the tournament. According to eyewitnesses, the dangling wires brushed against the roof of the bus causing sparks and a loud crackling sound. Startled, the students immediately scrambled out of their seats, fearing the vehicle might catch fire. The bus driver said poor visibility due to non-functional streetlights made it nearly impossible to spot the wires. "It was pitch dark. Suddenly sparks erupted and the children started screaming. Thankfully, quick help prevented injuries," he said. Residents in nearby houses rushed out after hearing the sparks and guided the students to safety. "The moment there was a spark, we thought the bus would burst into flames," a student said, recalling how flashes lit up the bus interior during the short circuit. The impact caused several wires to snap, cutting electricity to surrounding streets. Locals staged a brief protest, alleging that sagging cables have long posed a safety threat in the area, with repeated complaints going unaddressed. Teams from the electricity department arrived soon at the spot and cut off the power supply and initiated restoration work. Sub-inspector Lakhwinder Singh of Kochhar Market police post said officers reached the scene immediately and arranged another bus to safely transport the students to their accommodation. Tarsem Lal, XEN of the PSPCL Model Town division, said "The bus first contacted low-hanging internet cables and then damaged power wires. An electricity pole supporting two 200 KVA transformers was also damaged due to which power was disrupted in the nearby areas. One transformer was restored within three hours and the second was repaired by 9 am on Saturday."...