No technical faults with bus, says KSRTC

KSRTC officials on Tuesday said there was no technical or mechanical fault in the bus that caught fire near Nelamangala.

KSRTC managing director Rajender Kumar Kataria said the fuel tank, tyres, battery and engine were intact.  He said officials had found camphor and puja items in the bus. “Since camphor is inflammable, we suspect that the fire originated in a bag containing these items. Forensic examination is going on. We will get a clear picture once the report arrives,” he added.

KSRTC vigilance director B N S Reddy said the bus was bought in December 2012.  “The fitness of the vehicle was checked regularly,” he insisted.

A senior KSRTC official said the fire had engulfed the bus within 15-20 minutes, which indicated that it originated in the middle of the vehicle and not in the engine. “If there was a fire in the engine, it would not have spread so fast. In December, a BMTC bus caught fire after a spark in the engine. But the fire spread slowly,” the official said.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy also said there was no technical glitch in the bus. “I am told that smoke billowed from a sack,” he said.