At least 14 passengers narrowly escaped death, while the driver sustained minor injuries when a commercial bus caught fire along the Old Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The incident involved a Toyota Hiace bus that was en route to Asaba, Delta State, when it suddenly ignited in the middle of the bridge on Wednesday, 30 October 2024.
Eyewitness and local trader Obiora Uzor reported that the passengers managed to jump out of the bus before the flames consumed the entire vehicle. He noted that the driver suffered burns, as the fire originated from the front of the bus.
“The bus suddenly went up in flames while in motion and caused panic on the bridge as the passengers struggled to escape having been caught up by the fire. No one knew the cause of the fire,” Uzor stated. He added that the incident caused significant traffic congestion in both directions as motorists and bystanders attempted to extinguish the flames before firefighters arrived to control the blaze.
The Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday.
“The Anambra State Fire Service on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, received a distress alert at 0930 hours reporting of a vehicle (bus) engulfed by fire along the Bridge-head, Onitsha,” the statement read.
A crew of firefighters and equipment were promptly deployed to the scene, where they extinguished the fire and ensured it did not spread to other vehicles on the bridge.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but thankfully, no lives were lost. The public has been advised to alert the fire service promptly in case of a fire and to consider installing fire extinguishers in their vehicles, as fire can be deadly but is preventable.
