Mumbai: A major fire broke out at BEST’s Anik bus depot in Sion on Monday evening, gutting 10 parked CNG buses and damaging two others and triggering a large-scale emergency response. No one was injured. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, said officials.The affected buses were wet-lease midi CNG buses operated by a private contractor.A senior BEST official who is investigating the case said while the cause of the fire was being probed, he suspected that some combustible material lying near the bus caught fire from a spark caused by an external source. The fire melted gas pipes, resulting in gas leakage, which aggravated the situation, he said. While nine were new buses, three were already in operation, sources said.Thick plumes of smoke rose from the premises and were visible from several parts of the eastern suburbs, causing concern among residents and motorists in the area.BEST committee member Ramakant Gupta questioned the handling of the fire, alleging that the buses were parked too close to each other, allowing the blaze to spread rapidly. Gupta pointed out that fire extinguishers and sand buckets are available at depots and should have been used immediately to contain the flames. “Had the staff reacted promptly, the fire could have been restricted to two or three buses. Drivers could also have moved some of the buses away from the affected area,” he said.A senior official, however, said it was not possible for drivers to take out buses as there were heavy fumes and fire had spread quickly. Another official said staffers were unable to use extinguishers as the flames were huge, with thick smoke, and three to five buses caught fire at the same time. “Amid the heavy plumes of smoke, who would dare take the buses out?” he asked. “Once gas catches fire, controlling its spread becomes far more difficult,” said former Mumbai fire brigade officer Rajendra Choudhary.Another BEST panel member said the fire should serve as an eye-opener and there should be an emergency fire control protocol, equipment and training at all 27 depots to prevent such major blazes.Investigators are probing if any staffer was responsible for causing the blaze as well as any possible negligence in containing it.The fire reduced the BEST fleet, which is already at an all-time low of around 2,800 buses. This was the eighth outbreak of fire involving BEST buses since May 3 this year.
