Cluster bus catches fire while charging

NEW DELHI: A low-floor cluster electric bus caught fire on Tuesday while charging in North Delhi’s Burari Bus Depot, an official of the Transport Department said.

No casualties were reported in the incident, officials said.

The bus was put on charge when it caught fire. The reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained. However, such incident occur due to an increase in the temperature level of batteries, an official of the transport department said.

The IIT-Delhi experts-led Multi-Disciplinary Committee, which is already looking into fire incidents, will also visit the spot, the official added.

According to the Fire Department, a call about a fire in a cluster bus at the Burari DTC Bus Depot was received at 3:20 PM, and two fire tenders were dispatched. The fire was under control by 6:35 pm.

The Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) manages cluster buses. Following incidents of bus fires, the Delhi Transport Department formed a Multi-Disciplinary Committee led by IIT Delhi experts on September 13 to investigate and recommend preventive measures. The committee submitted its interim report last week. Over the past eight years, more than thirty buses have caught fire in Delhi, including four in 2023. The government stated that short circuits were the most common cause.