A minibus burst into flames yesterday morning along the Eccles Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The incident occurred around 9.50am, while three persons were travelling in the bus, BJJ 1801, which usually plies the Main Street-Lamaha route in the city.
No one was injured.
While it is unclear what exactly caused the fire, the driver, Wayne Harris, indicated that the bus was experiencing mechanical problems. He was driving at the time, while the owner was also on board.
According to Harris, because of the continuous mechanical problems encountered recently, they had decided to visit the mechanic yesterday. He said it was while they were heading along the EBD public road in the vicinity of Eccles that a loud explosion was heard under the bus and it suddenly caught on fire.
They managed to jump out of the vehicle, which went up in flames in a matter of minutes, he noted.
Residents rushed to render their assistance by forming bucket brigades to extinguish the fire. The Guyana Fire Service was also summoned but by the time firefighters arrived the bus had already been destroyed.
When Stabroek News arrived at the scene, a number of persons had gathered to get a glimpse of the bus. Police officers were also present to redirect traffic.
Many persons speculated that the bus’ engine may have overheated, resulting in the fire.
