NEW DELHI: An Air India passenger bus caught fire near Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Tuesday (Oct 28).
The incident occurred at 12.25pm near the C-34 aircraft parking pier. The bus, registered as DL 1P D 3975 and operated by Air India SATS (AISATS), was reportedly powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
According to initial reports from airport authorities, the driver, Satish Chand, noticed the fire. He initially attempted to control the blaze using the bus’s onboard fire suppression system but was forced to retreat when it proved ineffective.
The Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team was immediately alerted and rushed to the scene. The fire was extinguished and the situation was brought under control.
“Information was immediately passed to the Fire Service, and necessary action was taken. The ARFF team responded and the fire has been extinguished, and the situation is under control,” an official statement said.
A senior police official said that the bus was not carrying any passengers or luggage at the time of the incident and that only the driver was on board.
Authorities confirmed that there were no injuries reported in the incident. Preliminary investigations point towards a “technical malfunction” as the likely cause of the fire, given the CNG fuel system in the bus. A thorough examination of the vehicle will be conducted to determine the exact cause.
Senior airport officials, including the Chief Airport Security Officer (CASO) and Duty Managers for Operations, also reached the location. They confirmed no damage to aircraft or other airport facilities.
Operations at the busy Terminal 3 continued normally. - The Statesman/ANN
