Metro bus gutted by fire
A metro bus caught fire at the Rehmanabad station. The metro bus service between the twin cities remained suspended for five hours before the track was cleared for commute. PHOTos: EXPRESS
A metro bus with passengers aboard caught fire near the Rehmanabad station on Thursday morning, suspending traffic in both directions during the morning commute.
The driver, watching the flames leap out of the bus, pulled the bus over and opened the doors, allowing passengers to disembark to safety. No casualties were reported in the incident, however.
The bus was travelling from Rawalpindi to Islamabad. The Rahmanabad metro station was also damaged due to the severity of the fire. Five fire tenders of Rescue 1122 brought the fire under control after an effort of an hour.
The metro bus service remained suspended between the twin cities for five hours after the fire incident and as a result, passengers had to face serious problems.
According to eyewitnesses, the metro bus with female and male passengers to the brim left the Saddar station for Islamabad at 8:30 am but its fuel tank started to leak at the Waris Khan station. They said that as soon as it reached Rahmanabad station, the bus started catching fire. As a result, plumes of smoke entered the bus and a stampede ensued. The bus driver prudently opened all the doors of the bus and the panicked passengers jumped out of the bus. In a moment, they said, the fire engulfed the entire bus and the fire also engulfed and damaged the Rehmanabad station as well.
The eyewitnesses further said that the fire in the bus was so intense that the rising flames could be seen from afar.
Meanwhile, metro buses coming from behind and the opposite direction were stopped at different stations and on both tracks.
A spokesperson for Rescue 1122 said that a call was received about the fire at 8:55 am. He said that seven nearby fire tenders, a special rescue vehicle and three ambulances were dispatched to the spot. He said that the affected metro bus was on the elevated track.
A special fire fighting vehicle was used in fire-fighting and the firefighters were taken to the track using an automatic lift and the water supply was provided with the help of browsers.
The spokesperson said that the material in the bus was highly flammable and the firefighters faced difficulties in controlling the fire. The fire in the metro bus was brought under control after an hour of effort, he said.
He said that the damaged bus was lifted from the track using a crane and shifted to the metro bus service depot for repair work.
Meanwhile, the metro bus administration said that no casualty was reported in the incident. It said that all passengers managed to get off the bus due to the common sense of the driver.
The administration said that a committee has been formed to investigate the incident. The affected bus has been shifted to Islamabad metro bus depot where experts are inspecting it, it said
The administration said that work on the damaged windows of the Rahmanabad station has been started.
The metro bus administration said that the service was restored after the affected bus was removed from the track.
“It is too early to say what was the actual cause of the fire. The statements of the driver and other staff are being recorded while the footage of CCTV cameras installed at metro stations is also being obtained and assessed. Soon, facts will be brought to the light,” it said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2022.