Fire destroys three private school buses in Kerala capital; sabotage suspected

Three buses of a private school near Chenkottukonam in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, were gutted in a fire that broke out on the school ground in the early hours of Monday. While sabotage is suspected behind the fire, there were no casualties in the incident.

The incident occurred on the premises of the Trivandrum Scottish School around 1.45 a.m.

According to the police, the school security guard first detected the fire after spotting flames engulfing the front portion of a mini-bus and the side of a nearby bus. Within minutes, the fire spread rapidly and loud cracking sounds of the shattering glass were heard.

Local residents alerted the Fire and Rescue Services, which dispatched units from the Kazhakuttom and Chakka fire stations. By the time the firefighters brought the blaze under control, three buses were completely gutted.

While two other buses had been parked nearby, the drivers rushed to the scene and managed to move those vehicles away.

The school management suspected foul play in the incident. They alleged that the mini-bus, which had been parked roughly 10 metres away on the opposite side of the ground, was apparently driven into the parked buses before the fire was ignited. Such circumstances have fuelled suspicions that the incident could have been premeditated.

Besides, fire force officials have stated that there is no immediate indication that the blaze was caused by a mechanical failure or the age of the vehicles. Forensic experts and fire force officers are expected to conduct a scientific examination of the site to determine the exact cause of the fire.

However, a major challenge in the investigation is the absence of CCTV cameras in the affected area of the school premises.