Twelve new buses were gutted in a major fire at Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking's Anik bus depot in central Mumbai on Monday evening, though there are no reports of injuries, officials said.
The fire broke out at 5:45 pm in the Anik depot yard and involved some CNG-run buses parked in a row, a BEST spokesperson said.
A civic official said at least four fire engines, five water tankers and other firefighting vehicles were rushed to the spot, and the blaze was brought under control after more than an hour.
The official said twelve air-conditioned 'midi buses' (single-decker mini buses) procured for the undertaking's fleet were destroyed in the fire that was extinguished at around 8.20 pm, nearly two and a half hours after it erupted.
The BEST spokesperson said that the buses were from private operator Daga Group.
According to BEST officials, the operator has been replacing its old fleet with new buses over the past few months. So far, more than 140 new buses have been added to its fleet, while over 50 more are expected to be inducted.
The 12 buses that were gutted were part of the consignment of new buses, they said, adding that the cause of the fire is being ascertained.
Eyewitnesses claimed to have heard blasts at the spot while thick black smoke was visible from a distance. They claimed CNG tanks of the buses exploded. Some trees at the depot too were singed.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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