Bus explosion an accident?

2008-12-01 16:57

Verashni Pillay

Cape Town - Police suspect no foul play in the explosion of a luxury passenger bus in Cape Town on Monday afternoon.

A Translux bus en route from Johannesburg to Cape Town burst into flames just metres from its destination at about 13:00 on Monday, Captain Randall Stoffels said.

"At this stage it looks like it was a mechanical fault that caused the incident," he told News24.

An official from the Central Security Improvement district said there was a loud bang as the double-decker bus stopped at traffic lights on the corner of Buitengracht Road and Hertzog Boulevard, as it entered Cape Town's CBD.

"It went through the robots and caught fire," he explained.

A police van on patrol rushed to the scene and helped the 16 bus occupants out, Stoffels said. Fourteen were passengers along with a bus driver and co-driver.

Firefighters arrived shortly afterwards to put out the blaze.

The firefighter in charge of the scene, Ricardo Fourie, said there were no injuries.

"It looks like the fire started in the engine compartment," he said.

Firefighters were hosing down the burnt-out shell of the bus on Monday afternoon as onlookers took photos. Earlier black smoke billowed into the sky.

The bus driver refused to speak to the media and an official from Translux who was with him said he was "in a state". Translux was not available for any further comment.

Stoffels said some of the passengers' baggage had been recovered but those stored at the bottom of the bus was not.

- News24