Seven Buses Gutted in Major Fire at Auto Nagar in Vijayawada
Blaze erupts in mechanic shed, spreads rapidly to nearby buses; no casualties reported
VIJAYAWADA: Seven private buses were gutted in a major fire that broke out at a mechanic shed in Auto Nagar on Sunday, causing property losses worth several lakhs of rupees. Thick plumes of black smoke engulfed the area, triggering panic among residents, while the prompt response of locals and firefighters prevented a bigger disaster.
According to officials, several buses belonging to private travel operators had been brought to the shed for repairs and were parked inside the premises. The blaze is suspected to have started when sparks from welding work being carried out on one of the buses ignited combustible material, setting the vehicle on fire.
The flames spread rapidly to other buses parked nearby. At around 11.20 am, dense smoke billowed across the locality, prompting residents to alert the fire department. Displaying remarkable presence of mind, locals rushed to the shed and used cranes to pull buses away from the flames, as none of the vehicles was in running condition. Their timely efforts helped save nearly 10 buses from being destroyed.
Fire crews from the Auto Nagar, Governorpet and Kothapet fire stations reached the spot and launched a firefighting operation. Officials said the presence of fibre components and rubber tyres in the buses repeatedly fuelled the flames, making the operation difficult.
After several hours, firefighters brought the blaze under control. Officials confirmed that seven private buses were completely destroyed in the incident. police and fire department officials have launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire, while the total extent of the property loss is being assessed.
