About 39 bus passengers escaped without injuries when a Greyhound bus travelling from Cape Town to Durban caught fire on the N5 in Free State on Wednesday afternoon.
Police spokesperson Mako Mophiring said this was the second time in a month that a Greyhound bus had caught fire while on its journey.
Over a week ago, the engine of a Greyhound bus ferrying about 25 passengers allegedly exploded in Vereeniging, Gauteng. The bus was travelling from Johannesburg to Durban when the explosion happened. No one was injured.
The latest incident has raised further concerns, as many people will soon be using buses to get to various destinations ahead of December holidays.
“The latest bus fire incident happened between Paul Roux and Senekal in Free State. This is the second Greyhound bus to catch fire just slightly over a week, after another one exploded in Vereeniging, Gauteng,” said Mophiring.
He added that a mechanical fault is suspected to have caused the fire.
Merely two months after announcing the return on South African roads, a collision involving a Greyhound bus claimed the lives of six people on June 28.
Arrive Alive reported at the time: “Six people have died following a crash between a Greyhound bus and a bakkie 5km outside Richmond in the Northern Cape.”
It was alleged at the time that the bus tried to overtake a truck on a double lane and crashed into a bakkie.
Greyhound bus carrying 25 passengers explodes, goes up in flames
The luxurious coach was on its way to Durban from Johannesburg when the incident happened.
“We had just picked up some passengers in Vereeniging when we heard a loud bang. The bus came to a complete stop," pic.twitter.com/LJwaDcHW3Q
— Vehicle Trackers (@VehicleTrackerz) November 17, 2022
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here
