Pune: PMPML Bus Catches Fire Near DIAT; No Casualties Reported
Pune, 18th March 2025: A Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus was completely gutted in a fire near the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) on the Pune-Panshet road in Khadakwasla on Monday (17th March) around 1:30 pm. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, and the diesel tank remained intact.
The incident occurred approximately one kilometer from the first chowpatty near the Khadakwasla dam, towards Panshet. The bus had left Swargate around 1.00 pm, heading towards Khanapur. Around 1.45 pm, while the bus was in motion, the fire broke out.
The driver noticed smoke emanating from the vehicle and immediately halted it. Acting swiftly, the driver and conductor evacuated the 20 to 25 passengers on board, ensuring their safety. Shortly after the evacuation, the bus was engulfed in flames.
Conductor Firoz Shaikh promptly alerted the fire brigade. A fire truck from the PMRDA’s Nanded unit arrived at the scene and began extinguishing the blaze. It took nearly 30 minutes of continuous water spraying to bring the fire under control.
Personnel from the PMRDA fire department, including fireman Dnyaneshwar Budhavant, Pradyot Korde, and driver Premsagar Rathod, worked to douse the flames. Additionally, fire trucks from the National Defence Academy (NDA) also arrived to assist in the operation. By around 3.30 pm, the fire was fully extinguished, and the halted traffic on both sides of the road resumed.
The bus, which was previously used for Pune Darshan tours, had only a single door in the middle. It ran on diesel and reportedly had been moving at a sluggish pace since leaving Swargate. Witnesses stated that the speed further dropped after crossing Dhayari Phata, and soon after passing the chowpatty, smoke started billowing from the bus before it caught fire.
Notably, a similar incident had occurred in the same area on 24th May 2024, when another PMPML bus caught fire.
