Bus set on fire below, smoke engulfs Farmgate metro rail station, passengers panic

A bus was set on fire beneath the metro rail station in Farmgate, Dhaka, on Monday evening. Smoke from the burning bus entered the station, triggering panic among passengers. In a rush to escape, passengers hurried out of the station.

Following the incident at around 6:30 pm, the metro rail station remained closed for about half an hour. Services returned to normal at 7:02 pm after the situation was brought under control.

According to sources at Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the agency responsible for constructing and operating the metro rail system in Dhaka, the bus was set on fire right beside the station’s diesel generator. Smoke subsequently entered the station, triggering the fire alarm.

Panicked passengers inside the station began rushing towards the exits. The station was temporarily closed for safety reasons.

A responsible source at DMTCL said the diesel generator contained around 1,000 litres of diesel. The situation could have turned much worse if the fire from the bus had spread to the generator. Passengers were therefore evacuated from the station quickly.

Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner of Police (DC) Ibne Mizan told Prothom Alo that neither any passengers nor the driver of the bus that was set on fire could be found.

Police are checking CCTV footage to identify those responsible for setting the bus on fire, he added.