Fire breaks out in BEST bus in Ghatkopar; no one injured, say officials

Following the information the civic officials rushed to the spot and the fire was extinguished by 2:10 pm, around 20 minutes after it was reported

A fire broke out in a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai, the officials said on Monday.  

The incident took place near the Gandhi Nagar Bridge on LBS Road on Monday afternoon, they said.

The incident disrupted traffic on busy LBS Road.

Watch video of the incident below

BEST bus caught fire on LBS Road, Gandhinagar, Vikhroli.

Video courtesy: Anand N. Ingle #Mumbai #Mumbairoad #Accident pic.twitter.com/7XrmESRk3L

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The incident was reported to the traffic police via wireless call at around 1:52 pm and following the information the civic officials rushed to the spot and the fire was extinguished by 2:10 pm, around 20 minutes after it was reported, said an official, adding that there have been no reports of injuries in the incident.

The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, he said.

Meanwhile, the BEST bus route 303, which typically operates between Bandra Station (East) and Mulund Station (West), deviated from its regular schedule on Monday for a short trip to Gandhi Nagar. This service is managed by the Dharavi depot and operated under a wet lease agreement with Mateshwari, the officials said.

They said that the bus made the unscheduled stop around 1:52 pm, which later coincided with a fire incident involving the vehicle.

In a statement the Command and Control Centre Traffic department said, "The bus went for a short trip to Gandhi Nagar (L.B.S. Road) from Bandra Station (E). At about 13:30 hrs, it reached Gandhi Nagar. After emptying the bus, the driver took a right “U” turn to return to Bandra Station (E). While taking the turn and before approaching the bus stop, the on-duty driver noticed black smoke emitting from the engine. He immediately pulled the bus aside; meanwhile, a sudden fire broke out in the bus. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, except for the on-duty conductor, who received a slight (negligible) burn injury. The fire brigade arrived at the spot and doused the fire, but the bus was completely burnt. The reason for the fire is still unknown."

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