Bus catches fire outside primary school in Woodlands, driver evacuates passengers & attempts to put it out

No injuries reported after bus catches fire in Woodlands

A bus burst into flames outside a primary school in Woodlands on Tuesday (5 May) afternoon, prompting the bus captain to evacuate passengers and put out the fire himself.

Photos and videos of the inferno shared on Facebook showed thick smoke and flames emanating from the SMRT bus as it stopped at a bus stop opposite Woodgrove Primary School.

Fire engulfs entire bus in Woodlands

Soon, the fire engulfed the entire front of the bus.

The blaze subsequently spread to the rest of the bus as onlookers, including pupils, watched from a safe distance.

The blaze sent smoke into the school, with some pupils seen covering their noses.

SCDF put out fire, bus reduced to burnt frame

After the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived, firefighters were seen putting out the fire with a hose.

Police cars were also spotted at the scene.

The flames were eventually doused, leaving the burnt frame of the bus.

The charred bus was later seen being towed away.

SCDF investigating cause of Woodlands bus fire

In response to queries from MS News, SCDF said it was alerted at about 1.40pm on 5 May to a bus on fire along Woodlands Avenue 1.

It was extinguished using a water jet and a hosereel, with no injuries reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

MP relieved that passengers & driver evacuated safely

In a Facebook post on the same day, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Hany Soh said the fire took place near Block 508 Woodlands Avenue 1.

She was relieved that all passengers and the driver evacuated safely, and thanked SCDF, the police, Woodgrove Primary School staff and helpful residents in the vicinity for their swift response.

She is in “close contact” with the relevant agencies as they manage the situation on the ground, she added.

Bus captain evacuated passengers after noticing smoke

Mr Vincent Gay, SMRT Buses’ Deputy Managing Director, told MS News in a statement that the bus affected was a Service 967, which had stopped at the bus stop to allow passengers to alight and board at about 1.30pm.

When the bus captain noticed smoke coming from the driver’s compartment, he immediately guided all passengers to alight and move to a safe distance.

The fire broke out at the front of the bus shortly after, and he alerted the Bus Operations Control Centre, which in turn called SCDF.

“The bus captain also attempted to put out the fire from a safe distance,” Mr Gay said, adding that he was not hurt.

SMRT is investigating the cause of the incident and supporting the well-being of the bus captain.

Also read: SBS apologises to passengers after engine compartment of bus catches fire along TPE

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Featured image adapted from Raymond Lee on Facebook and on SGbusesnmore on Facebook.