KARIMNAGAR: A fire broke out in an electric bus manufactured by JBM on the premises of the Karimnagar bus station on Saturday morning. Flames suddenly erupted from the battery compartment when the driver started the vehicle to take it out of the Karimnagar-2 depot to pick up passengers waiting at the bus station.
Fortunately, no major damage or casualties were reported, as no passengers had yet boarded. The bus was scheduled to operate a trip to Jubilee Bus Station, Secunderabad, which was subsequently cancelled.
Upon noticing the incident, the driver and depot staff promptly alerted a mechanic, who removed one of the 12 lithium batteries and informed the fire department. Fire personnel quickly arrived at the scene and brought the blaze under control.
Karimnagar-2 Depot Manager M Srinivas told TNIE that the battery was immediately soaked in water. He added that its impact may persist for up to 48 hours, and precautions are being taken to prevent further flames.
JBM’s South India Area Manager and a team of special mechanics travelled from Hyderabad to inspect the cause of the incident. An investigation is also underway into the flames emitted from the battery component.