India, Feb. 7 -- Thirty passengers had a narrow escape on Friday when a private sleeper bus they were travelling in allegedly veered off the road, fell into a ditch and later caught fire on the outskirts of the city, police said.

The incident occurred near Nelamangala on the Bengaluru-Tumakuru highway, they said. According to police, the accident was allegedly caused due to the driver's negligence, with the bus first hitting an electric pole before plunging into a ditch.

A suspected short-circuit is said to have triggered the fire. Soon after the accident, all the passengers managed to get out of the bus on their own before the flames spread, a senior police officer said.

However, it is yet to be ascertained whether the driver fell asl...