DTC bus catches fire, no one hurt

Nearly 60 passengers had a narrow escape on Tuesday when a low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation bus, which started plying just four days back, caught fire near in south Delhi, causing a traffic jam on Ring Road.

Nearly 60 passengers had a narrow escape on Tuesday when a low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation bus, which started plying just four days back, caught fire near in south Delhi, causing a traffic jam on Ring Road.

HT Image

Fire officials said the bus, which was going to Gurgaon from the Kashmere Gate bus terminal, started billowing dark smoke around 8:30 am near Maharani Bagh.

“Smoke started coming out of the engine. The tyres and the doors of the bus were jammed, creating panic. The passengers broke had to open the rear window of the bus,” said a fire official on the condition of anonymity.

The fire engines reached the spot at 8:45 pm but the fire was doused by then.

“No one was injured in the incident. The cause of fire is suspected to be CNG leakage but we are investigating the matter,” the official added.

According to the police, the bus had travelled 1,087 kilometers and was stationed at the DTC’s Shadipur depot.

This is the latest in the spate of similar incidents to plague the DTC fleet.

According to DTC records, this was the ninth incident of a low-floor bus catching fire.

In all these incidents, the drivers had told the police that tyres of the bus suddenly jammed and smoke started coming out of the engine.