Reported by The Times of India
Mumbai: A major fire broke out at BEST’s Anik bus depot in Sion on Monday evening, gutting 10 parked CNG buses and damaging two others and triggering a large-scale emergency response. No one was injured. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, said officials.
The affected buses were wet-lease midi CNG buses operated by a private contractor.
A senior BEST official who is investigating the case said while the cause of the fire was being probed, he suspected that some combustible material lying near the bus caught fire from a spark caused by an external source. The fire melted gas pipes, resulting in gas leakage, which aggravated the situation, he said. While nine were new buses, three were already in operation, sources said.
Thick plumes of smoke rose from the premises and were visible from several parts of the eastern suburbs, causing concern among residents and motorists in the area.
BEST committee member Ramakant Gupta questioned the handling of the fire, alleging that the buses were parked too close to each other, allowing the blaze to spread rapidly. Gupta pointed out that fire extinguishers and sand buckets are available at depots and should have been used immediately to contain the flames. “Had the staff reacted promptly, the fire could have been restricted to two or three buses. Drivers could also have moved some of the buses away from the affected area,” he said.
