After the major fire in a bus depot in Stuttgart, further research is being carried out into the cause. It is now clear: 25 buses have been destroyed, as a spokesman for the local transport company SSB announced. This also includes two battery-powered buses.
In the hall, which is open to the side, the fire on the roof of a bus was discovered on Thursday evening. 60 vehicles were able to be driven out of the hall in the Gaisburg district in time. The damage runs into the millions, according to the company. The depot offers space for a total of 140 vehicles. The fire brigade was busy extinguishing the fire until the day after. According to a spokeswoman, there were no signs of an intentional act.
To a report of Stuttgart news the outbreak on a bus roof indicates a vehicle with electrical components and a technical defect. The newspaper points to parallels with other fires. In June, nine vehicles went up in flames in a bus depot in Hanover, including five new electric buses. The trigger is currently still being determined. In Dusseldorf the parking hall with 38 buses burned down, the cause is a technical defect that cannot be further identified.
The Stuttgart line operations were not affected by the fire. The SSB is considering renting additional buses. Other transport companies also offered their help. In the fire, six SSB employees received medical care – two came to a hospital for further care with suspected smoke poisoning. A large column of smoke and flames could be seen over the east of Stuttgart.