Three buses, eight two-wheelers gutted in fire at parking area

Indore: A massive fire at a private bus parking yard in the Teen Imli area on Monday morning gutted three luxury buses and damaged eight two-wheelers, triggering panic in the residential locality and raising fresh questions over alleged illegal commercial activity at the site. Two fire tenders rushed to the spot and firefighters battled the blaze for nearly an hour before bringing it under control, officials said.

At the time of the incident, around 16 to 17 buses were parked inside the premises, most of which were moved out by the travels company as the flames spread. Locals said a major accident was averted as several other buses were removed in time, preventing the fire from spreading further. The blaze did not reach the adjoining residential area despite thick smoke and intense heat at the spot.

Residents said loud explosion-like sounds were heard during the fire and thick plumes of smoke could be seen from a considerable distance. No casualties were reported. Preliminary investigation suggests the fire may have started after sparks flew during welding work on one of the buses parked in the yard.

Fire department official Santosh Dubey said three buses owned by Hari Prasad Dubey and two motorcycles parked at the depot were completely gutted, while six other motorcycles were partially damaged. The fire department received the call at 11.35 pm and sent two fire tenders to the scene. Around 65,000 litres of water were used to douse the flames.

“The explosions were likely caused by tyres bursting in the intense heat as the buses were completely engulfed in flames,” Dubey said. DCP Zone-1 Narendra Rawat said the private land had been taken on contract by the Inter City office and was being used to park buses. “The exact cause of the fire is still not clear. There were no CCTV cameras installed at the premises and no staff member was present when the incident occurred. The fire spread rapidly and three buses were completely gutted. Fortunately, there was no loss of life,” he said.

Rawat said police found oxygen cylinders used for welding work at the site, though no LPG cylinders were recovered. “Maintenance-related work was being carried out there without RTO permission. We have directed the operators to install CCTV cameras, maintain cleanliness and ensure no unauthorised activities are carried out in future,” he added. He said authorities had also been told to maintain proper safety measures, deploy a security guard and cover the premises.