AMTS bus catches fire near Jain Merchant bus stand in Paldi, no injuries reported

An Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service bus caught fire on Friday morning near the Jain Merchant bus stand in the Paldi area of Ahmedabad, triggering panic among passengers before the blaze was swiftly brought under control by firefighters. No injuries were reported in the incident.

As per officials, the bus operating on Route 35 was travelling from Lal Darwaja towards Bavla when the incident occurred around 8 am near Paldi.

Transport officials said the bus, bearing number TCM-53 and operated by Tank Operation Pvt Ltd, had halted at the Jain Merchant bus stand to pick up passengers when smoke suddenly started emanating from the engine bonnet.

The conductor immediately directed passengers to disembark from the vehicle and alerted the fire brigade. The driver also switched off the ignition and the main power supply, but the fire spread quickly inside the engine compartment.

Officials said the bus staff initially attempted to extinguish the flames using fire extinguishers available on board and from other buses arriving behind them. Firefighters who arrived shortly afterwards brought the blaze under control.

Preliminary findings suggest that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in the engine compartment.

The front portion of the bus, including the engine section, roof ceiling and four front seats, was damaged in the fire. However, all passengers, the driver and the conductor managed to evacuate safely.

Deputy Transport Manager R N Pandey said a preliminary report has been prepared and further investigation is under way to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.