Hyderabad school bus fire: Parents seek safety probe, question transport standards
Parents of students at Manthan International School in Tellapur, Hyderabad, are demanding a thorough investigation after a school bus caught fire on the campus on September 8, 2026, just as students were preparing to board. The incident has raised serious questions about the school's transport safety protocols.
According to parents present at the scene, the bus began emitting smoke while four students were still inside. The children were quickly deboarded and no injuries were reported. A video clip showing the bus fully engulfed in flames, captured by a parent who had come to pick up a child, was widely shared online.
The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m., when students who use the school bus service were boarding. One parent, Krishna Vamsi, said the school sent a message to families only around 5 p.m., stating that 'transportation will be delayed.' He said he learned about the fire only through parent groups and the video clip, and accused the school of being negligent about children in its care.
Several parents told this correspondent that the bus had shown signs of trouble in the past. One parent said he had complained twice in the previous three months about the air conditioner failing, forcing students to get off due to suffocation. In another instance, a vehicle's sensors failed, leaving the bus locked in the middle of the road. Social media posts from January 2026 also show a Manthan International School bus with a broken windshield after locals broke it to rescue children when the vehicle developed a failure.
“We are really worried. I pay close to ₹4 lakh for my daughter, who is in Class 3. But when such incidents happen, the school's response is very non-serious,” said another parent, Ramakrishna. He expressed concern that parents assume their children will reach home safely, but the school did not even show empathy or act promptly in such a serious situation.
On Wednesday, September 9, several parents visited the school to demand answers. The school management reportedly said that International Schools Partnership (ISP), the organisation that governs the school, would take a decision once its officials arrive. ISP has its regional office in Bengaluru and runs two schools in Hyderabad. The Mandal Educational Officer also visited the school on Wednesday to inquire about the incident.
Parents have now taken collective action. They have identified the bus involved as a SML Mahindra Hiroi with a 63-seat configuration, bearing registration number TG 15 U 6985, using the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' VAHAN portal. The portal records the vehicle as a three-month-old non-AC variant, but the vehicle was operating with an AC system, possibly retrofitted later. While the parents have not alleged that the AC system caused the fire, they have asked the Transport Department to verify whether the system had the necessary authorisation and safety clearances.
The parents have also written to the District Collector of Sangareddy, the Superintendent of Police, the Director of School Education, the District Educational Officer, the District Transport Officer, and the District Fire Officer. Their letter seeks an investigation into the fire and earlier related incidents, as well as a full inspection of all school buses.
