A scholar transport vehicle with pupils on board was completely engulfed in flames, on Inyetsane Street in Vosloorus, this morning (January 22).

The vehicle, a mini-bus kombi, was completely gutted, but the driver and the two pupils managed to escape unharmed.

According to William Ntladi, a spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni’s Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS), the emergency services were called to Inyetsane Street, in Vosloorus Extension 7, at about 06:00, where a VW kombi was spotted ablaze.

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“On arrival, the vehicle was already engulfed in flames. Fortunately, both children and the driver had managed to escape the burning vehicle without injuries,” said Ntladi.

The incident was attributed to apparent mechanical faults and electrical issues from the engine compartment.

“The driver and the two terrified pupils, aged ten and six, who are both from one family, were offered counselling on the scene by firefighters, and their parents were also called immediately to the scene.
“The fire was extinguished, though the vehicle was extensively damaged by the blaze.”

The scene was then handed over to the EMPD officers for further investigations and scene rehabilitation.

This incident came hardly a week after the deadly crash, which claimed the lives of 14 pupils and left several others injured in Vanderbijlpark.