Three buses, belonging to two different educational institutions, parked on a school premises, were destroyed in a fire at Tirunagar in the wee hours of Wednesday.
According to the police, initial investigation did not reveal any act of arson. It is suspected that the fire may have been triggered by an electrical short circuit, Tirunagar Inspector of Police, R. Jayakumar, said. Only a thorough investigation would bring out the truth, he added.
The buses, registered in 2010 and 2011, belonged to an engineering college and a polytechnic college. The engineering college bus has been parking at the school ground for the past 15 years. The school ground was secured by a compound wall and was well lit, Mr. Jayakumar said.
The school watchman was the first to notice the fire.
Three fire tenders from Madurai and Tirumangalam fire stations rushed to the spot. It took 40 minutes to put out the blaze, Madurai Divisional Fire Officer, K. Karuppiah, said.
The tyres, upholstery and roof of the buses were charred, he added.
