Driver abandons pupils in bus fire
A DRIVER leapt out of a school bus to escape a fire, leaving 26 children inside.
The bus rammed into various street signs before coming to a stop against the fence of a property.
The man was transporting the children – aged from five to 12 – from various Pretoria West primary schools when the incident happened yesterday.
“Apparently, the bus caught fire and the driver jumped out of the bus, leaving the children in the bus,” said Xander Loubser, spokesperson for Best Care Ambulance Services.
Sixteen children, as well as the driver, had received minor injuries and had been taken to various hospitals. Loubser said the 10 other children had not been injured during the incident. There were no fatalities.
By the time the paramedics arrived, the fire had been extinguished and neither the driver nor the children had sustained any injuries relating to the fire but received minor abrasions.
Loubser, said he suspected the fire had broken out due to the bus being old, as well as there being possible mechanical issues.
It was unclear at this stage if the driver of the bus would face any criminal charges.