Tinsukia(Assam): A bus stationed Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) campus in upper Assam Tinsukia burst into flames on Thursday morning.
The bus, registered under the number ‘AS12 BC 9447,’ was scheduled to depart for Tezpur later that morning.
Amidst the ongoing protest over laying off of more than 700 employees of ASTC in Assam, the incident in Tinsukia has sparked tension.
According to reports, no injuries were reported because the passenger had not yet boarded inside the bus.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, which remains unknown at this point.
“Right we cannot say how the bus caught fire. We are investigating the matter to ascertain whether it was a foul play or technical malfunction,” said an official.
The state government has recently made a decission in this week to terminate the employment of 771 individuals who were allegedly recruited illegally during the tenures of Anand Prakash Tiwari and Khagendra Nath Chetia as Managing Directors.
According to an official notice, a total of 2,274 employees were hired without following the proper procedures, leading to accusations of corruption and favoritism.
The decission has triggered outrage among the employees and they have started a massive protest to stop the termination in Guwahati.