Panic gripped commuters near Thane Railway Station on Thursday, April 23 after a Shivshahi bus caught fire near the busy SATIS bridge area.
According to the Disaster Management Cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation, the fire broke out at around 1:28 pm on the SATIS bridge, near the Dr Narayan Vishnu alias Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Foot Over Bridge in Thane (West). The private bus was en route from Swargate to Vasai when the incident occurred.
Officials further highlighted that a total of 14 passengers were onboard the bus- 10 travelling from Swargate and four who had boarded at Thane.
Driver and passengers averted the bus just in time
Prompt action by the driver, identified as Santosh Kisan Gawli, and conductor Milind Sonawane ensured that all passengers were safely evacuated as soon as the fire was detected.
As soon as smoke was noticed, all passengers and the driver quickly disembarked from the vehicle, ensuring that no casualties or injuries were reported.
The incident triggered chaos in the area, with several commuters rushing to safety amid fears of the fire spreading. Authorities were alerted, and efforts were made to bring the situation under control.
Fire extinguished at 2:30 pm
Soon after the incident was reported, emergency response teams, including the Fire Brigade, Disaster Management Cell, Thane City Police, and Traffic Police, rushed to the spot.
Firefighters deployed one fire tender, a rescue vehicle, and a water tanker to douse the flames. The blaze was brought under control and completely extinguished by around 2:30 pm.
Woman recovers gold from a burning bag
After surviving a major incident, a woman passenger managed to recover her gold ornaments from her bag, which was partially damaged in the blaze.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, and further details are awaited as officials continue their investigation.
Local corporator Sanjay Waghule and Disaster Management Officer Y. M. Tadvi were present at the site during the rescue and firefighting operations.
Fire breaks out at old Mumbra Ward office
In a separate incident in Thane’s Mumbra region, a fire broke out on Wednesday, April 22, at the Old Mumbra Ward Committee Office located in Sahayog Apartment. The blaze in the Thane district triggered a swift response from the Thane Municipal Corporation’s Disaster Management Cell and Fire Brigade.
As per the official statement, the incident was reported at around 6:53 pm by the Mumbra Fire Station. Soon after receiving the alert, firefighting teams rushed to the spot with adequate equipment to extinguish the blaze. The response team included two fire tenders, two high-rise fire tenders, and one rescue vehicle.
