According to the owner of the bus, it was roadworthy, had all the necessary permits and insurance, and had been serviced before the fire. A bus transporting 44 passengers, most of them women and children, caught fire on the N1 highway near William Nicol on Wednesday morning.
N1 South near William Nicol JHB. pic.twitter.com/UyXfgihfM7
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) December 11, 2019
According to JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar, no injuries have been reported and passengers were being treated for smoke inhalation.
However, passengers lost all their belongings, and will be leaving the accident with nothing but the clothes on their back, said spokesperson for the ministry of transport, Ayanda Allie Paine.
Motorists can still expect heavy delays with traffic being diverted through William Nicol, past Witkoppen and Rivonia Road, and back onto the N1, Minnaar said.
If possible, alternative routes should be utilised.
JHB – N1 North: BURNING VEHICLE at William Nicol Drive – HEAVY QUEUE building – exit at Malibongwe Drive to avoid pic.twitter.com/JjVebpnBKU
— Rob Beezy (@TrafficSA) December 11, 2019
Paine interviewed the owner of the bus, who was notified of the incident at about 7am.
The man, who is not named, told Paine that he believes the fire came from the left front tyre and quickly spread to the rest of the bus.
He said that although there was a fire extinguisher on board, he thinks that due to the “ferocity of the fire”, one fire extinguisher would not have been enough to combat the blaze.
He confirmed that the bus was roadworthy, had all the necessary permits and insurance, and that it had been serviced.
He added that he has arranged for another bus to transport destitute passengers to their final destination.
The co-driver of the bus told Paine that the front left tyre burst, and that he and the driver found that the area of the bus began smoking.
At this point, all passengers were quickly escorted off the bus, at which point SAPS arrived at the scene and assisted them.
Updates to follow as more information is made available.
In other news – Shumaya hitmakers Dbn Nyts split
Award-winning Gqom group Dbn Nyts has been dropping members like bad habits. These were the words of the SunTeam’s informants, who said the Shumaya hitmakers were no more. In 2010, Dbn Nyts came on to the music scene with five members, including Lwazi Yokwana, Samkele Maphumulo, Wanda Shabalala, Kabelo Pekile, and Cebo Ngcobo.
Last year, two members (Lwazi and Samkele) were fired following a dispute, the moles said. And today, sources claimed the group is dead. continue reading
Source: The Citizen
