Mumbai: A Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking bus went up in flames at Maheshwari Udyan in Matunga at around 4.17 pm on Wednesday. No casualty was reported, as passengers managed to escape safely.
According to the preliminary information received by the BEST PRO depratment, a BEST bus number 27, which was ferrying passengers from Vaishali Nagar in Mulund to Worli bus depot, suddenly went up in flames, as it reached Dr Babashaeb Ambedkar road in Matunga.
The driver saw smoke emerging from the engine and quickly alerted the conductor and passengers. The bus conductor and driver evacuated the bus on time.
They were helped by the Matunga police, fire brigade team and the nearby shopkeepers. The bus driver Tatu Fernandes, conductor Rajendra Chauhan and 10 passengers were safely evacuated.
The fire started from the electric meter box in the driver’s cabin. The fire officials rushed to the spot and within few minutes they brought the flames under control.
Last year, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation gave Rs 100 crore to its transport wing (BEST) for its smooth operation. At the cost of Rs 90 crore BEST purchased 185 new buses which run on diesel.
This bus was one of the 185 new buses which were recently added to the fleet. This new bus which was turned into ashes costs BEST around Rs 55 lakh.
A similar incident occurred on May 3, when fire broke out in a bus due to a blast in the high pressure gauge near the left front tyre, at Gokuldham bus depot in Goregaon. This is the second incident of a BEST bus going up in flames.
