Bus evacuated as fire breaks out

2:09pm Thursday 17th May 2007

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Two fire appliances were called to the centre of Bradford where a double decker bus was engulfed in smoke this afternoon.

Passengers were evacuated from the 610 Queensbury to Bradford First bus on Market Street in Bradford city centre at 12.40pm when the smoke became too overpowering.

Watch manager John Blyth said the fire had been electrical and had been caused by the PVC insulation on the wires.

Fire crews took 20 minutes to control the fire using hose reels to isolate the bus batteries An eyewitness said: "There were quite a few people on board. The smoke was mainly upstairs.

"One man who had been on the bus said he had nearly choked with the fumes."

The bus was taken out of service and a replacement bus put on to ferry passengers on the route between Queensbury and Bradford.