Sixteen North Carolina high school students escaped injury after their school bus caught fire.
Officials say the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) bus was traveling from South Mecklenburg High School on Thursday when the driver smelled smoke around 3.30pm.
Bus No 364 then burst into flames near the intersection of Eastway Drive and Central Avenue, CMS said in a statement.
Emergency responders said one person was treated for smoke inhalation at Carolinas Medical Center, but no injuries were reported.
A school bus burst into flames while carrying 16 students from South Mecklenburg High School in North Carolina on Thursday
Officials say the bus driver smelled smoke around 3.30pm before the bus went up in a blaze
Emergency responders said one person was treated for smoke inhalation at Carolinas Medical Center, but no injuries were reported
Terrifying video shot just minutes after the students escaped shows the entire front half of the bus completely engulfed in flames.
Student Timoni Rushing told WSOC-TV that the school bus was making clicking noises and broke down just a few minutes before the fire.
‘And that’s when the front just exploded,’ Rushing said.
Rushing said the bus driver managed to get the bus to restart and kept driving before the engine burst into flames.
‘Well actually looked like it was about to explode. We didn’t know,’ Rushing said.
CMS credited the bus driver’s ‘quick response’ to the fire, stating: ‘While in transit, the driver smelled smoke, immediately stopped the bus, evacuated all students safely and notified emergency services.’
One students told WSOC-TV that the school bus was making clicking noises and broke down just a few minutes before the fire
A replacement bus was dispatched to pick up the students and continue the route. Aerial shots showed the front of the bus completely charred
Officials say an investigation will include a review of the inspection and maintenance records of the bus. The bus was reportedly last inspected two weeks ago
A replacement bus was dispatched to pick up the students and continue the route.
‘Even if they have to get new buses, that’s something they should be thinking about,’ parent Temoe Cooper told the news station.
Aerial shots of the bus after the fire shows the entire front of the bus destroyed and charred from the fire.
The CMS statement said transportation officials with the school system will conduct an investigation which will include a review of the inspection and maintenance records of the bus.
According to WSOC-TV, the bus was last inspected two weeks ago.