Ama Bus catches fire in Bhubaneswar: Passengers evacuated safely, battery short-circuit suspected

Bhubaneswar: As many as 26 passengers travelling on an Ama Bus had a narrow escape as they were evacuated on time after the vehicle caught fire at Kalinga Studio Square here on Saturday morning.According to witnesses, smoke was first noticed inside the moving bus, which prompted the driver and staff to act swiftly and evacuate all passengers on board. Fire services personnel arrived immediately and brought the flames under control.On the fire incident, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in Sambalpur that additional safety protocols were reinforced across the Ama Bus fleet. He said that the fire was caused by a battery short-circuit.The incident caused a temporary traffic disruption at the busy junction. Capital Region Urban Transport (Crut), which operates the Ama Bus services, later said that an investigation ascertained that the fire was caused by a short-circuit.“At approximately 6:26 am, an Ama Bus operating on Route No 23, travelling from Bhubaneswar railway station to IGKC Hospital, completed its first trip and was returning for the second trip,” Crut said in an official statement.It stated that near the Kalinga Studio Square stop, the bus captain noticed smoke coming from the battery unit and, as an immediate safety measure, evacuated all passengers and then attempted to control the situation using the onboard fire extinguisher.“Before the incident could escalate, all passengers were promptly shifted to another bus and moved away from the area,” Crut said, adding that the fire services personnel arrived at the site and brought the blaze under control.“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a short-circuit in the main battery unit. Despite the swift response of the onboard staff to control the battery smoke, the bus caught fire and sustained extensive damage,” it stated.Crut also issued a show-cause notice to the route operator concerned and directed it to immediately ensure the fitness of the remaining 30 buses. It also issued directions to the operator to identify and replace all buses that are over 12 years old.On Dec 14, 2024, a similar bus caught fire at Madhupatna Square in Cuttack.