PANTU: The quick action of the driver managed to save the lives of nine passengers of an express bus traveling from Kuching to Sri Aman late afternoon yesterday.
The express bus with nine passengers suddenly caught fire when passing Kampung Abok, Pantu at 3 pm.
“The driver, Joseph Lepa, had smelled burnt rubber before fire suddenly appeared at the front of the steering wheel and smoke started to fill the cabin of the bus.
“He then immediately stopped the express bus and then ordered all nine passengers to evacuate the vehicle,” said a Sri Aman Fire and Rescue Department’s spokesman.
The spokeman said he sent eight men led by its commander II Jilin Itar, to put out the fire using water from the fire-engine’s tanker.
“The operation to extinguish the fire on the express bus was completed at 5.15 pm,” he said.Meanwhile, Sri Aman District Police Chief, DSP Othman Sulaiman when confirming the incident said that no passenger was injured in the fire.
“All the passengers are safe and have been put on another express bus,” he said, adding that the incident was believed to be due to short circuit.
