Primary school pupils had to be evacuated this morning after a bus burst into flames just yards away from classrooms.
More than 200 pupils at Leamore Primary School in Walsall, West Midlands, were rushed out of their classrooms as a precaution.
The fire was reported at around 9.45am this morning, just after children would have been dropped off to school. The single decker vehicle had then set alight after stopping at a bus stop near the Bloxwich Active Living Centre.
More than 200 pupils at Leamore Primary School in Walsall, West Midlands, were rushed out of their classrooms as a precaution
All passengers and the driver were safely evacuated and there were no injuries from the incident.
Nearby roads were affected due to the thick smog which engulfed the area.
Joy Barker, who is the school business manager, said all 210 pupils were evacuated to the playground behind the school as a safety precaution.
She said: ‘It was quite dramatic because of the sheer amount of smoke.
‘Our car park is adjacent to it so we evacuated pupils to be on the safe side.
‘Huge thanks to the fire service, they were absolutely brilliant. One firefighter visited every single classroom to explain what was happening and to reassure pupils.’
Witness Eric Bones, 27, lives close to the scene and recorded a series of videos showing the street covered in smoke.
Witness Eric Bones, 27, lives close to the scene and recorded a series of videos showing the street covered in smoke
The vehicle lay in the road completely burnt out. Luckily there were no injuries
He said: ‘The bus just started burning. I saw the driver, but couldn’t tell if there were passengers on it.
‘It was pretty quick – it just went up in flames.’
A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: ‘Crews from Walsall and Bloxwich fire stations are still on-scene. Four breathing apparatus and two hose reel jets have been used.
‘All people on the bus, including the driver, have been accounted for and there are no injuries.
‘The fire also spread to the bus stop affecting electricity.’
The cause of the bus blaze is not yet known.