Bengaluru: As many as 56 buses worth Rs 50 crore belonging to KPN Travels, from Salem, Tamil Nadu, went up in smoke as some 200 agitators barged into the company's bus shed in D’Souza Layout, Dwaraka Nagar, Banashankari and hurled petrol bombs on them on Monday.
Mr Ansar, manager of KPN’s regional office in the city, said he received calls at around 5pm from the drivers at the shed informing him about the attack and immediately called the local police and fire department. But by the time the fire tenders arrived at 7pm all the sleeper, semi-sleeper, AC and Non-AC buses valued at over Rs 50 crore, were burnt.
Asked about the delay in responding to KPN’s SOS, Mr N R Markandeya, Deputy Director of Fire and Emergency Services, blamed it on protestors blocking the way of the fire tenders. “We swung into action as soon as we received the call and dispatched nine fire tenders from various zones to the spot, but protestors held them up in many areas, ” he said.
It took two hours to put out the fire at the shed, which was finally doused by 9 pm. A neighbouring shed owned by a Kannadiga was not touched, according to sources. There were few cops to control the agitators, said eye witnesses.
