Bus bursts into flames during London rush hour

On the morning of Thursday, January 11, a double-decker bus suddenly caught fire in south-west London.

Just after 7:20am local time, the emergency services were called to Wimbledon Hill Road/Alwyne Road in Wimbledon as passengers scrambled to exit the vehicle in a panic and onlookers watched in horror. 

Transport for London (TfL) have stated that ‘the bus was quickly evacuated’, and the Met Police have assured the public that no injuries were reported.

Max Pashley, a local resident, told a local radio station that: “We heard a huge bang. We were terrified.”

TfL’s head of bus business development, Tom Cunnington, declared that: “Safety is our top priority and we are working with the operator, London General, and the bus manufacturer, Switch, to investigate what happened.”

Many road closures followed the incident but as of Thursday evening were reported to have been cleared. 

A Met Police spokesperson said: “We thank the local community for their patience and co-operation as emergency services work at the scene.”