A fire yesterday burned down 11 CNG-run luxury buses of Trans Millennium Company Limited (TMCL) at Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka city in what police termed mysterious.

Locals claimed most of the buses damaged by fire in a garage were out of operation.

A sudden explosion in the garage at Anandapur burned down the 11 buses in minutes before the fire service personnel could douse the flames. Twelve other buses in the same garage were removed to safety.

There was no immediate report of casualties.

The air conditioned luxury passenger buses used to run on Motijheel-Savar route.

AKH Nasir of Savar police station said they came to know that most of the fire damaged buses in the garage were out of operation for a long time for various defects . " However, we are investigating the matter, "he added.

Savar fire service station officer Khalilur Rahman told reporters that the fire might have originated in one of the buses due to leakage in the gas line.

But he didn't comment on how a gas cylinder leakage could burn 11 big buses in such a short time.

Bankim Chandra, bus pool manager, said night guards Ata and Jyotindra, driver Chan Mia and another person were in the garage on Thursday night. He was unwilling to divulge any further information.

Alamgir Khan, Managing Director of TMCL, told reporters he went to the spot after receiving the news of the fire incident. " I do not know anything more at the moment", he informed.