Navi Mumbai: A major fire broke out in a 9-metre JBM electric bus parked at the Turbhe depot of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) undertaking on July 14. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported as the bus had been lying idle at the depot for the past four days.

According to officials, the fire erupted suddenly while the bus was parked inside the depot. Firefighters and depot staff rushed to the spot and managed to bring the blaze under control before it could spread to other vehicles. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, and an investigation has been initiated.

The incident comes just two days after the inauguration of 51 new CNG buses inducted into the NMMT fleet as part of efforts to strengthen public transport services. This is not the first such incident involving an electric bus in Navi Mumbai. A similar fire had earlier been reported at the Ghansoli depot, raising fresh concerns over the reliability and safety of the electric buses in operation.

There has also been growing discussion in recent months about several electric buses remaining off the road due to technical faults. Frequent breakdowns and repeated fire incidents have sparked concerns over the quality of the buses, maintenance standards, and passenger safety.

Transport authorities are expected to conduct a detailed technical inspection to determine the cause of the fire and assess whether additional safety measures are required for the electric bus fleet.