Fire at Navi Mumbai’s Ghansoli Depot: Electric Bus Blaze Guts Four Buses, Three Cars
Navi Mumbai, 4th June 2025: Navi Mumbai witnessed a major scare early Tuesday morning after an electric bus caught fire at the Ghansoli depot of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT), damaging seven vehicles in total. The incident occurred around 7 a.m., triggering a swift response from fire brigades.
According to civic officials, the electric bus, which had been parked at the depot since May 28 for maintenance, suddenly caught fire. The blaze quickly spread to three adjacent diesel buses and three parked cars. Fire tenders from Koparkhairane, Vashi, and Nerul rushed to the spot and successfully brought the fire under control, preventing a larger disaster.
“A major accident was averted due to the timely intervention of the fire department,” said Yogesh Kaduskar, Manager of NMMT. He confirmed that while four vehicles were completely gutted, the remaining 107 diesel buses and other parked vehicles at the depot were unharmed.
The Ghansoli depot currently houses 111 diesel buses from Mahalaxmi Company, which are in the process of being decommissioned as part of NMMT’s transition to greener transportation. In total, NMMT operates 521 buses, with a strategic shift toward electric vehicles outlined in this year’s civic budget to cut fuel costs and boost eco-friendly transport options.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and a thorough investigation has been launched by the transport department to determine whether the electric bus fire was due to a technical fault or other reasons.
The incident has raised concerns over the safety protocols for handling electric buses, especially those undergoing repairs. Authorities are expected to review current maintenance and storage practices in light of the incident.
