Metro bus catches fire in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi: A metro bus caught fire on Thursday morning. The bus was in Rehmanabad station of Rawalpindi when it caught fire. Smoke billowing out from the back of the bus could be seen from miles.

It was the second fire incident in metro busses in twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad in a week. After the fire incident, Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA) directed concerned management to suspend Metro Bus Service (MBS) operations on Murree Road. The operation was suspended till the filing of this report. The metro bus caught fire due to overheating. The fire originated in the engine, resultantly, setting the whole bus ablaze. The commuters in a state of fear and panic to see flames rushed off the bus on the occasion.

Rescue 1122 officials verified that no commuter was injured in the incident at the Murree Road Rehmanabad metro station. The Metro Bus Authority (MBS) told ‘The News’ that the situation is under control and the passengers were saved from all sides. The authority also stated that they had issued a report to the Punjab government requesting funding for bus and metro track maintenance.

The Metro Bus Authority (MBA) officials and drivers on condition of anonymity said that all busses need maintenance. The busses were not in a condition to be plied but concerned management was insisting to ply them in any case. If the management does not provide funds for maintenance, buses will stop or catch fire in coming days, they warned.

Furthermore, the administration mentioned that they were trying to figure out other causes behind the fire. Some three days back, in a similar incident, a metro bus caught fire at Jinnah Avenue in Islamabad. The residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have appealed to the government to provide funds for the maintenance of buses and metro tracks immediately.