Bus Crew, Passengers Safe As Inter Africa Buses Coach Catches Fire In Bulawayo

An Inter Africa bus caught fire in Bulawayo on Thursday afternoon, shortly after passengers had got off.

Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Mhlangano Moyo told state media the Fire Brigade was called to the scene at around 1:30 pm after reports of a bus on fire along Basch Street and Sixth Avenue Extension.

“The brigade was summoned to a bus on fire at Basch Street and Sixth Avenue extension. It was found well alight,” Moyo said.

“The brigade used four high-pressure hose reels with breathing apparatus sets, stage one.

“The suspected cause of fire is electrical. It’s an Inter Africa bus.”

He said the bus, which was travelling from Tsholotsho, had just dropped off passengers and was on its way to Kelvin workshops when it caught fire. No injuries were reported.

The driver, who declined to be named, said he only realised the bus was on fire after members of the public alerted him.

“The driver, conductor and loader were the only people on board at the time, and all escaped unharmed,” said a source familiar with the incident.

Although the fire caused extensive damage inside,  reducing parts of the interior to ashes and causing fittings such as mirrors to fall off in the intense heat, the exterior remained largely intact. Remarkably, all the tyres were undamaged.

The Bulawayo Fire Brigade brought the blaze under control, stopping it from spreading further.

Investigations into the cause are ongoing, though initial indications point to an electrical fault.