An electric microbus caught fire while travelling through Bardiya district in western Nepal on Sunday morning, police said.

The vehicle caught fire at around 6:45am in Ramtapur, ward 7 of Bardiya Municipality, while travelling from Kohalpur,Banke to Kailali.

The driver was 38-year-old Narendra Negi, from ward 3 of Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City. Only the driver and an assistant were on board, and both escaped unharmed, police said.

Documents and Rs42,000 in cash kept inside the vehicle were destroyed in the fire, Deputy Superintendent of Police Resham Bohara said.

The fire was brought under control with the help of a fire engine from Thakurbaba Municipality.