NEW DELHI: Tense moments were witnessed on Tuesday afternoon at Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport when a shuttle bus operated by the Air India Group suddenly caught fire in the apron area near a parking bay.
The bus was on its way to pick up crew members of an Air India flight from Hong Kong to Delhi. According to sources in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), passengers had deboarded some time earlier, and the bus—operated by Air India SATS, a ground-handling service—was heading only to fetch the crew.
“The bus was stationary, but the engine had not been switched off. The engine, located in the rear portion of the CNG bus, caught fire all of a sudden, though the cause is not yet known. The driver managed to escape, and the airport fire service doused the blaze. Almost 30 percent of the bus was burnt,” said a source.
The crew remained inside the aircraft, and no one stepped out during the incident. “The CISF cordoned off the area,” the source added.
Delhi airport sources confirmed the incident. “The Airport Rescue and Fire Force (ARFF) personnel present within the airport premises extinguished the fire within minutes. No member of the public was injured as the bus was empty, with only the driver on board, who managed to get out safely. The rear portion of the bus sustained damage,” said an official.
“It is not yet clear how the fire started. The cause will be determined after an investigation,” the official added.
According to airport police, a report about the fire was received around 1 p.m. “Fire tenders and local police responded to the incident, along with other concerned agencies, including the CISF,” said a senior police officer. Police reiterated that, apart from the driver, the bus was empty and carried no luggage.
“An examination of the bus will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the fire,” the officer said.
An AISATS spokesperson said, "An unfortunate fire incident involving one of the coaches was reported at Delhi Airport. The vehicle was unoccupied at the time, and no casualties were reported. An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the fire, and AISATS is fully cooperating with the relevant authorities."
