THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Three buses belonging to the Thundathil based Trivandrum Scottish School were gutted in a major fire that broke out in the school premises during the early hours of Monday.
Fire and Rescue Services officials said the blaze was reported at around 2.50 am. Two buses and a mini bus were completely destroyed, while another bus sustained partial damage. All the vehicles were parked in an open space within the school compound.
Suresh, the security officer on night duty, said he became aware of the incident after hearing repeated sounds from the raging fire. By the time he reached the spot, flames had already begun engulfing the vehicles from the sides, he said.
While the buses were parked together on one side, the mini bus was found on the opposite side, nearly 10 metres away. The mini bus was discovered rammed into one of the buses from the flank, raising suspicion that it may have been moved from its original parking spot.
Officials said the key of the mini bus was found kept on the dashboard, strengthening doubts that someone familiar with the arrangement could have accessed the vehicle and triggered the fire.
Fire and Rescue Services units from Chakkai and Kazhakootam rushed to the spot and doused the flames. The Kazhakootam police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident