17 e-carts destroyed in fire at Chhatbir Zoo charging station

Eighteen battery-operated vehicles, 17 e-buggies and a toy-train engine, parked at a charging station in Chhatbir Zoo here were destroyed in a fire around 8:20 am today. No one was injured in the accident. Eyewitnesses said the roof of the shed prevented the blaze from spreading to the forest area.

Fire tenders were rushed to the spot but before they could reach the spot, most of the buggies were destroyed.

Preliminary investigation revealed that there was a blast in one of the vehicles due to the battery overcharging, after which fire spread to other carts made of fibre, an official said.

Since the vehicles were parked closely, the blaze engulfed all carts one after another.

Eyewitnesses said there were 28 buggies and two toy-train engines which were charged and made available for visitors by the contractor daily.

Staff members tried to control the fire but without much success. An investigation committee has been formed to probe the cause of the fire and damage to the property. No timeframe has been specified for the investigation.

The officials said since the zoo was closed on Monday, there were no visitors. Animal enclosures were also away from the spot.

Nine buggies and a toy-train engine were salvaged, the officials said later.

The zoo provides battery-operated vehicles as an eco-friendly way to tour the zoo spread over 200 hectares. Visitors can rent these buggies with a capacity of 12 persons each.

In October 2015, the buggy service was discontinued after the zoo management did not renew the contract of the firm due to complaints.

On February 2, 2025, eight visitors were injured after an e-cart overturned at the zoo. The incident took place around 3 pm when the driver swerved to his left in a bid to avoid hitting children playing on the road, said zoo officials. Passengers, however, claimed the driver was watching his phone and failed to notice the kids in time.