Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar VIDEO: Bus Catches Fire Near Railway Station; 25 Passengers Evacuated

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A city bus caught fire near the railway station on Thursday morning, triggering panic among passengers. However, all 25 passengers on board were safely evacuated after smoke began billowing from the engine. The fire brigade reached the spot and brought the blaze under control within minutes.

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The incident has once again raised concerns over the maintenance of buses operated by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC).

Since the dissolution of the Smart City body, the bus service has been operated by the CSMC Mechanical Department. Around 75 buses ply various city routes daily, ferrying between 15,000 and 18,000 passengers from 5am to 11pm.

On Thursday morning, bus MH 20-EL-1914 arrived at the railway station from Bidkin. The driver and conductor went to the control room to register their arrival. The bus was then scheduled to leave for Phulambri with more than 25 passengers on board.

Just as the bus was about to depart, smoke began billowing from the engine. The driver and conductor immediately evacuated the passengers through the rear door. A team from the Padampura main fire station reached the spot and brought the fire under control.

Sources said regular maintenance and repairs of the buses have allegedly not been carried out since they were handed over from the Smart City project to the Municipal Corporation. They claimed that inadequate maintenance could be contributing to such incidents.

Amol Kulkarni, Executive Engineer of the CSMC Mechanical Department, said the fire was caused by a short circuit in the engine and was minor in nature.

“A portion of the engine and the wiring were burnt. The bus will be back on the road within two days after the necessary repairs are completed,” he said.

Buses have caught fire in the past as well. In 2022, a city bus was completely gutted in a fire at Bidkin.