Tourist bus catches fire below Aarey Metro station, traffic hit during peak hour

MUMBAI: A private tourist bus caught fire beneath the Aarey Metro station in Goregaon East on Friday evening, disrupting traffic on the northbound stretch during the peak-hour rush

MUMBAI: A private tourist bus caught fire beneath the Aarey Metro station in Goregaon East on Friday evening, disrupting traffic on the northbound stretch during the peak-hour rush. This disruption resulted in Metro authorities temporarily halting trains at the station as a precautionary measure.

iMumbai, India - September 04, 2026: fire broke out in the bus on the Western Express highway near Aarey colony Metro station in mumbai, India, on Friday, September 04, 2026. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The fire was reported around 6.15pm, following which the Mumbai Fire Brigade, traffic police, local police, 108 ambulance services and Metro authorities were mobilised. No injuries were reported.

The blaze triggered congestion on the northbound carriageway near Aarey Sub Metro station, with traffic moving at a slow pace as emergency teams worked to douse the fire. Around 7pm, some lanes of the highway were temporarily closed to facilitate firefighting operations.

A traffic police officer said the disruption lasted for nearly three hours during the evening peak. “The fire was doused by around 7.15pm and the process of clearing the burnt vehicle from the road was underway,” the officer said.

The incident also affected Metro operations, although the station itself was not damaged. A spokesperson for the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) said the fire occurred beneath the station premises and did not affect the station structure.

However, smoke from the burning bus entered the station area, prompting Metro authorities to move passengers outside as a precautionary measure. As a temporary safety measure to prevent smoke from entering trains, services were briefly operated without a halt at Aarey Metro station until the smoke cleared.

Metro services at the station resumed by around 7pm, the MMMOCL spokesperson said.

Traffic movement gradually improved after the fire was brought under control and the damaged bus was being removed from the carriageway.