24 derelict JUTC buses razed
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Twenty-four derelict Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses were destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon at the company’s Rockfort depot in East Kingston.
The fire reportedly broke out sometime after 3:00 pm, triggering a rapid response from the Jamaica Fire Brigade.
Four fire trucks were reportedly dispatched to the location from Rollington Town, York Park, and Trench Town fire stations.
“We extinguished most of the blaze and cooling down operation is in progress,” a firefighter told Observer Online shortly after 4:00 pm.
He said investigations are ongoing into the cause of the blaze.
No injuries were reported.
Observer Online was told the buses were more than 15 years old.
Representatives from JUTC declined to speak with our news team following the incident. However, late Tuesday evening, the company issued a statement saying that “no injuries were reported, and there was no damage or exposure to JUTC’s active rolling stock, stores, or critical operational facilities”.
The company also said the operations at the depot were not affected.