New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) A low-floor cluster electric bus caught fire on Tuesday while charging in North Delhi's Burari Bus Depot, an official of the Transport Department said.
No casualties were reported in the incident, officials said.
The bus was put on charge when it caught fire. The reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained. However, such incident occur due to an increase in the temperature level of batteries, an official of the transport department said.
The IIT-Delhi experts-led Multi-Disciplinary Committee, which is already looking into fire incidents, will also visit the spot, the official added.
According to the Fire Department, "A call regarding fire in a cluster bus in Burari DTC Bus Depot was received at 3.20 pm, and two fire tenders were pressed into service."
The fire was brought under control by 6.35 pm, a DFS officer said.
The Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) monitors and manages cluster buses.
The Delhi Transport Department on September 13 constituted an IIT-Delhi experts-led Multi-Disciplinary Committee to enquire into the incidents of fire in the buses and recommend preventive measures.
The committee was mandated to submit its interim report within three weeks and the final report within eight weeks from the date of its formation.
According to the sources, the committee submitted its interim report last week.
Over thirty buses caught fire in Delhi in the last eight years, including four in 2023, according to the city government's data on fire incidents in DTC and cluster buses. Last year, the government informed the Delhi Assembly that short circuits were the most common reason behind the fire incidents that occurred in buses around 12 years old.
The transport department has over the years constituted different committees to look into the causes of the fires. The common reasons have emerged to short-circuit and engine overheating and drivers have also flagged technical issues.