Mumbai Tragedy: CNG-Run BEST Bus Catches Fire In Vikhroli, No Passengers Injured; Second Incident In Month

Mumbai: A fire broke out in a CNG-powered wet lease BEST bus operating on route number 397 near Pragati Vidyalaya in Vikhroli (East) on Thursday. The incident occurred around 3:29 pm and was brought under control by 3:44 pm, according to officials from the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB). No injuries or casualties were reported.

Cause Traced to Electrical Short Circuit

"The bus, registered under number MH-03 EG-1654 and belonging to wet lease contractor Maruti Travels, was travelling from Vikhroli Station to Kannamwar Nagar when smoke was first noticed emerging from the driver’s cabin" said an official.

"Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire originated due to a short circuit in the internal wiring system of the vehicle. There were over a dozen passengers in the bus" he said.

Staff’s Swift Action Saves the Day

Reacting promptly, the driver and conductor used the onboard fire extinguisher to contain the flames and safely evacuated all passengers before fire brigade personnel arrived at the scene. Their swift response is being credited with preventing a potentially serious mishap.

Fire Contained to Driver’s Cabin

Fire brigade officials confirmed that the fire was restricted to the cabin area and did not spread to other parts of the vehicle. The blaze was fully extinguished within 15 minutes of being reported.

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A senior BEST official praised the timely action taken by the on duty staff and stated that a detailed investigation will be conducted to identify the exact cause of the 'fault' and to prevent such incidents in the future.