A major fire broke out at the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking’s Anik bus depot in central Mumbai on Monday evening, October 5, with 12 newly procured air-conditioned CNG midi buses being destroyed at night when the depot was hit by a major fire, the news agency said.
The fire was reported at around 5:45 PM in the depot yard, where several buses were parked in a row, officials said. No injuries were reported as the buses were empty at the time of the incident.
The fire spreads quickly across parked buses.
The fire appeared to start in a parked bus before spreading to other vehicles. BEST officials said the buses were among a recent batch of vehicles added to the city's public transport fleet.
The affected buses were air-conditioned midi buses operated by private firm Daga Group under BEST's fleet arrangement. More than 140 new buses have already been added to the fleet, with additional vehicles expected to be added.
Early reports said 8 to 10 buses had been caught fire, but official and PTI reports confirmed 12 buses were ultimately gutted.
Fire Brigade launches major operation
Mumbai Fire Brigade personnel, police and BEST staff rushed to the depot after the fire was reported. At least four fire engines and five water tankers were deployed to battle the blaze.
The fire was finally brought under control after a very lengthy firefighting operation. PTI said the fire was extinguished at 8:20 PM, while other reports said it had been brought under control earlier.
The absence of passengers and staff in the buses prevented casualties.
Eyewitnesses report hearing explosions
Thick black smoke could be seen from the area as the fire spread through the parked buses. Some eyewitnesses said they heard explosions during the incident and claimed they could have been connected to the CNG tanks.
But the fire itself has not been officially found as of now. And why the fire started and how did it spread so fast from one parked vehicle to several others?
Fire Destroys 12 New CNG Buses at Mumbai's Anik Depot The fire broke out around 5:44 pm Monday at the Anik Bus Depot near Sion RTO, starting in an empty parked bus and rapidly spreading to 11 others—all new air-conditioned CNG models under a wet-lease https://t.co/i9HdPTPP7a
— Wellness & Wonder (@DIYLifeHackslab) October 5, 2026
Questions about Mumbai’s public transport fleet.
The incident comes as BEST expands its fleet with new inducted and wet lease buses. The loss of 12 new vehicles could further complicate fleet management at a time when Mumbai relies heavily on BEST buses for daily commuting.
The Hindustan Times reported that over 40 buses were parked inside the depot when the fire broke out and several vehicles were moved to safety after staff noticed the fire. The buses that were destroyed could not be moved because their keys were not readily available.
Investigation into fire underway
Now authorities will assess the buses, depot conditions and circumstances on the outbreak. Although eyewitness accounts have speculated about possible explosions, there is no official indication of a CNG tank failure causing the fire.
The incident has also brought up the safety issue of bus depots where clusters of vehicles are parked close together.
