Mumbai's Kurla AC double-decker blaze raises EV safety concerns

The charred bus at the Kurla Depot maintenance bay. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The blaze in a high-tech AC double-decker bus at Kurla, which gutted it completely, has baffled officials and raised questions about the city's green transition of the fleet, as the mystery behind the fire has remained unsolved. Mysterious because the bus had been reported unfit and was stationary in a maintenance bay for days, yet it caught fire, raising questions about the safety of the fleet.

The incident raises questions about thermal runaway risk in stationary EV battery packs, especially during maintenance, and what fire suppression protocols are in place at depots for electric fleets. "This is unusual, and we are investigating the matter. The Switch company team that undertakes maintenance of these buses is also inquiring simultaneously. But since the bus has been gutted completely, it is taking time," said a senior BEST official.

What happened

Bus number 10440 (RTO number MH-01-EE-9649) had been taken out of service since May 1 due to a technical fault and brought to the Kurla Depot for servicing and repairs. On Sunday afternoon, the bus started emitting smoke and caught fire. The incident took place around 3.55 pm, and the fire was doused at 6.15 pm.

"This is the first time such a thing has happened. The bus was stationary for days. Yet on Sunday afternoon, fumes started coming from under the front wheels where the battery pack is located. Before anyone could realise, the fumes spread, and the bus was gutted within minutes," said a senior BEST official.

Voices

Shubham Padave, bus enthusiast
‘This raises serious questions about maintenance practices and how well buses are equipped for fire incidents. Earlier, double-deckers were operated by Majas, Kurla and Dharavi Depots in the suburbs and Colaba, Backbay, and Worli in the city zone. Now these are operated only from Kurla in the suburbs and Colaba in the city. One such incident can impact the entire operations of double-deckers… like if chargers/connections are damaged in a fire, then all double-deckers won't be able to charge until repairs. The leased operators are unable to understand the criticality of operating public transport in a city.'

Ritwik Bhuvad, commuter
‘Hope BEST learns a lesson from this. Doesn't a fire extinguisher douse electrical fires? I think there is a need to look at the overall maintenance of buses and emergency measures that have been put in place.'