Two BEST buses catch fire at Mumbai depot in a span of an hour

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Mumbai: Two CNG-powered BEST buses were gutted in a late-night fire at the Sion-Pratiksha Nagar bus depot on Sunday, prompting an investigation by the fire brigade and police. The blaze broke out after the buses had completed their day’s operations ferrying commuters and returned to the depot. Officials said the vehicles were parked with a gap of four buses between them.

It was after the fire in one of the buses was extinguished that the second bus, parked at a distance, caught fire, said a BEST official, adding that the cause was yet to be confirmed. Fire brigade personnel rushed to the depot and brought the flames under control, but both buses were completely destroyed. No injuries were reported.

Senior inspector Manish Awale of Wadala Truck Terminal police station said preliminary findings point to overheating and a short circuit as the likely cause. “Prima facie, the cause of the fire in the bus was due to overheating and short circuit. We have ruled out any foul play,” Awale said. He added that a detailed probe is underway to establish the exact sequence of events and whether any mechanical or electrical fault contributed to the incident.

This was the second such incident this month, the previous one on May 3 when an electric AC double-decker bus caught fire and was gutted at the Kurla depot. Nobody was injured in that incident as well.

A BEST official said the undertaking is examining whether the fire may have been triggered when an engine was started or kept in “start” mode, leading to a spark that ignited the CNG system. “We are checking CCTV footage and have asked senior officials to question all the night drivers,” the official said, adding that the buses were due to head out again for refuelling.

The incident comes amid another safety scare involving a BEST bus in western suburbs on Monday, wherein a spark was noticed during operations. Passengers were asked to evacuate as a precaution, and the bus was taken back to the depot for inspection. BEST officials said they are coordinating with investigators and will review maintenance records and depot protocols as part of the inquiry.