Bhubaneswar: The Odisha capital witnessed a worrying pattern as two electric buses from state-run ‘Ama Bus’ fleet, operated by Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), caught fire within a span of just 24 hours.
While 26 passengers had a narrow escape after an ‘Ama Bus’, heading from Bhubaneswar railway station to IGKC Hospital area in Ghatikia, burst into flames near Kalinga Studio square here on Saturday morning, another e-bus caught fire at a depot in Patia at around 3.30 this afternoon.
“The e-bus had completed its scheduled route service for the day and returned to the depot for intermediate charging. After some time, smoke was observed coming from the battery compartment. The staff present at the depot immediately responded and attempted to control the situation using the available fire extinguishers,” the CRUT said in a release.
It further stated that a Fire brigade team soon reached the spot and contained the smoke billowing from the bus by spraying water and foam. “The e-bus did not sustain any significant damage,” it added.
The release also mentioned that a high-level committee has been constituted to address the issue. “The committee comprises officers from TPCODL, the Transport Department, the bus manufacturing company, and a team of technical officers from CRUT. The committee will conduct a thorough examination to identify the exact cause of the incident and will submit a detailed report on it.”