A BEST bus operating under a wet-lease from the Deonar depot caught fire in Chembur on Sunday morning. The fire is believed to have been caused by a short circuit in the bus’s battery box. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among passengers or staff during the incident.
On inspecting the vehicle, he noticed sparks from the battery box, which subsequently triggered a fire. Passengers also alerted the fire brigade, following which a fire engine reached the spot. By then, however, the fire had already been extinguished. Fire brigade personnel disconnected the battery connection and removed the battery from the bus as a precautionary measure. The bus was operated under the wet-lease arrangement by SMTATPL. The incident comes amid growing concerns over the maintenance and safety of wet-lease buses operated by the city’s public transport undertaking. Officials are expected to examine the battery and electrical systems to determine the exact cause of the short circuit and ascertain whether any maintenance-related issue contributed to the incident.
The incident took place around 8am near Ram Mandir in Chembur Colony, when the bus, operating on route A-364 from Mahul Gaon towards Trombay, developed a fault while in service. The driver used all three fire extinguishers available on the bus and managed to put out the flames by around 8.15am.
The driver noticed smoke coming from beneath the driver’s cabin and immediately brought the bus to a halt, according to officials.
