India U-23 Footballers Survive Fire Scare in Team Bus

The Indian team for the Asian Football Confederation under-23 championship in Dhaka survived a major scare when smoke was spotted from the rear of its team bus. The players were returning from training on Monday when smoke was seen from the gas cylinders at the rear of the bus.

The 30-member contingent was left stranded on the streets and players took turns to return to their team hotel in police jeeps, according to an All India Football Federation press release. No injuries were reported.

"It was scary. For a moment we were flummoxed. We just couldn't understand what to do," India's head coach Savio Medeira said. "I need to thank the local police in Bangladesh for their timely support and cooperation without which we could have ended up worse."

Meanwhile, India will play Bangladesh on Tuesday while Syria take on Uzbekistan to decide the Group E winners.