COIMBATORE: Eighteen passengers had a narrow escape after an omni bus went up in flames in Erode early Thursday morning.

The air-conditioned omni- bus, driven by Karthikeyan from Nellikuppam in Cuddalore, was bound to Coimbatore from Chennai with around 18 passengers.

As the bus reached Chithode in Erode, the driver noticed smoke inside the bus, which also caused breathlessness among the passengers.

“The driver stopped the bus to check, when the battery exploded and fire began to spread out. Immediately, the passengers rushed out of the bus by leaving their belongings inside,” police said.

Soon, the entire bus was engulfed in fire.

On receiving an alert, the Bhavani fire and rescue personnel arrived and doused the raging fire after a long struggle.