Electrical fault suspected in Magau bus fire
Commuters narrowly escaped disaster when their Phadziri bus caught fire, passengers described hearing a loud bang before thick smoke filled the vehicle.
LIMPOPO – Commuters on a Phadziri bus had a close call on October 24 when the vehicle they were traveling on caught fire.
The bus, en route from Louis Trichardt, had just dropped off passengers at Magau when smoke began billowing from the vehicle.
Some passengers, sensing danger, jumped out of the bus to escape potential injury, with a few even leaping through windows to evade the flames. The driver, too, had to exit hurriedly as the fire quickly engulfed the vehicle.
A witness at a nearby bus stop reported seeing smoke coming from under the bus’s front wheels as it drove past.
“We thought it was the brake pads, but we couldn’t alert the driver. Just a short distance ahead, we saw more smoke pouring from the bus,” he recalled.
Mathews Motau, a passenger, described the moment the fire began.
“As we were nearing Magau, we heard a loud bang, followed by thick black smoke filling the bus,” he said. Amid the commotion, passengers evacuated quickly, and fortunately, no one was injured.
Firefighters arrived promptly but found the flames had already consumed the bus.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” Motau shared. “I’m still in shock, but I thank God for saving us and the driver.”
GM Phadziri spokesperson, Left Mabirimisa, expressed relief that all passengers and the driver escaped unharmed.
He noted that an electrical fault is suspected as the cause of the fire.
