Three buses gutted at Thiruvananthapuram school
In the early hours of Monday, three buses, including two school buses and a traveller vehicle, were completely destroyed by a fire at Trivandrum Scottish School in Chenkottukonam. Firefighters from Kazhakootam and Chackai stations responded to the alert received around 2:30 am, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to a fourth bus which sustained minor window damage. Officials suspect the fire originated from the traveller vehicle, noting its unusual position and suggesting it may have been intentionally moved, prompting the Kazhakootam police to launch an investigation into the incident, which concluded around 4:30 am after residents alerted authorities.
In the early hours of Monday, three buses, including two school buses and a traveller vehicle, were completely destroyed by a fire at Trivandrum Scottish School in Chenkottukonam. Firefighters from Kazhakootam and Chackai stations responded to the alert received around 2:30 am, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to a fourth bus which sustained minor window damage. Officials suspect the fire originated from the traveller vehicle, noting its unusual position and suggesting it may have been intentionally moved, prompting the Kazhakootam police to launch an investigation into the incident, which concluded around 4:30 am after residents alerted authorities.
In the early hours of Monday, three buses, including two school buses and a traveller vehicle, were completely destroyed by a fire at Trivandrum Scottish School in Chenkottukonam. Firefighters from Kazhakootam and Chackai stations responded to the alert received around 2:30 am, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to a fourth bus which sustained minor window damage. Officials suspect the fire originated from the traveller vehicle, noting its unusual position and suggesting it may have been intentionally moved, prompting the Kazhakootam police to launch an investigation into the incident, which concluded around 4:30 am after residents alerted authorities.
Thiruvananthapuram: Three buses were gutted at Trivandrum Scottish School in Chenkottukonam in the early hours of Monday. Units from the Kazhakootam and Chackai fire stations rushed to the spot and doused the flames.
The Fire and Rescue team received an alert around 2.30 am. "After hearing noises, residents alerted us. A unit each from the Kazhakootam and Chackai fire stations reached the spot and began dousing the flames, but a major portion of the buses had already been burned," a Fire and Rescue Services official from the Kazhakootam station said.
"Two school buses and a traveller were gutted. The flames were spreading to a fourth bus, but we managed to douse them in time. The bus sustained minor damage to its windows," the official added. "According to the security guard, the traveller had been parked opposite the two buses for the night. However, when we reached the spot, it had moved towards the other buses, and the fire appeared to have started from the traveller. It seems someone might have pushed it," the official told Onmanorama. The firefighting operations were concluded at 4.30 am.
Speaking to the media, the school's security personnel said the traveller had been parked about 10 metres away from the other buses on Friday. "On Saturday and Sunday, the buses remained stationed at the spot as students did not have classes. The keys were inside the dashboard as well," he said. "Other than that, we do not know how the fire could have started in this manner," he added. The traveller was found rammed into one of the other buses when Fire and Rescue Services personnel reached the spot.
Neighbours and residents who noticed the blaze alerted the school authorities, police and fire force. Although fire units reached the spot promptly, all three vehicles were completely destroyed. The blaze was contained before it could spread further. The Kazhakootam police have launched a probe into the incident.