Navi Mumbai News: Massive Fire Erupts At NMMT’s Ghansoli Depot Guts 4 Buses; IR Failure In Electric Bus Battery Suspected (See Pics)

Mumbai: At least four buses were charred after a fire broke out in an electric NMMT bus stationed at the Ghansoli depot on Wednesday morning. According to fire officials, a call was received at 7:15 AM, following which the Koparkhairane fire team rushed to the spot and found that the blaze had erupted from an electric bus, which then spread to three diesel buses parked nearby. An additional six buses suffered minor damages, but a total of four buses — one electric and three diesel — were completely gutted, confirmed a fire officer from Koparkhairane Fire Brigade.

Fire tankers from Vashi and Airoli were also called in for reinforcement.1

According to NMMC, the incident occurred at 7:20 AM inside the workshop of the Ghansoli depot under Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT). The electric bus, manufactured by JBM (Reg. No. MH 43 / BP 4542), was stationed for repairs. As per preliminary findings, a technical fault — insulation resistance (IR) failure — caused a short circuit in one of the four sealed battery packs, leading to a rapid and intense fire. The fire spread to three nearby diesel generator buses, which were under major repair and operated by M/s. Mahalaxmi Bus Transport Pvt. Ltd.

Though technical staff attempted to extinguish the fire using fire extinguishers, the sealed battery design and the speed of combustion made it difficult to control. No injuries or casualties were reported.

NMMT General Manager Yogesh Kaduskar said: "We have recalled all electric buses for inspection. They will operate again only after thorough checking. No routes will be affected."

The fire was brought under control between 7:35 AM and 8:10 AM. An official complaint has been filed at the Rabale Police Station.