When Smoke Billowed Over Terminal 3: A Near Miss at Delhi's Bustling Airport

Picture this, if you will: the usual organised chaos of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on a Monday evening, lights shimmering, planes humming, and then—quite abruptly—a different kind of glow. Not from the runway, but from a bus, an Air India staff bus no less, erupting into a furious, smoke-billowing blaze right there near Terminal 3. It was, to put it mildly, quite a spectacle, and certainly not the kind of drama anyone expects when heading to or from the airport.

The incident, unfolding near Gate 8, involved a bus specifically used to ferry maintenance personnel. And here, perhaps, is where a collective sigh of relief echoed loudest: thankfully, miraculously even, no passengers were onboard. Only staff, who, one presumes, managed to evacuate quickly. Videos, naturally, spread like wildfire across social media, showing thick, black smoke churning skyward and angry orange flames devouring the vehicle. It looked, honestly, rather terrifying.

But credit where credit is due; the airport's emergency services sprang into action with impressive speed. Fire tenders, sirens wailing, were on the scene in what felt like moments, battling the inferno. And battle it they did, bringing the situation under control rather swiftly. No injuries were reported, which, given the ferocity of the blaze captured in those viral clips, is truly remarkable. You could say, for once, that emergency protocols worked exactly as they should.

It raises questions, of course, about vehicle maintenance and safety, particularly in such a high-stakes environment like an international airport. Yet, for now, the primary feeling is one of immense relief. A potentially catastrophic situation—a fire at a major transport hub—was contained, and crucially, everyone walked away unharmed. It was a Monday evening reminder, stark and vivid, of the ever-present need for vigilance, even amidst the familiar hum of airport operations.