More than 50 passengers escape unhurt as bus catches fire in northern Rwanda

KIGALI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Fifty-one passengers aboard a public transport bus escaped unhurt on Friday morning when the vehicle burst into flames along the way in northern Rwanda, said the Rwandan police.

According to local media, the vehicle of a public transport company with registration number RAD 248K was heading to the Rwandan capital Kigali from Musanze district in Northern Province before it caught fire around 8 a.m. along the way in Gakenke district, Northern Province.

After the driver noticed that the bus was on fire, he put the vehicle to a stop and urged the passengers to jump out, according to reports. Fire fighters from the police rushed to the spot to put out fire before the bus could completely burn off, local media reported.

People along the road alerted the driver after realizing the lower part of the bus had fire sparks, Rwandan police spokesperson for Northern Province Hamdun Twizeyimana told Xinhua on phone.

All passengers and the driver escaped unhurt and no injuries were reported, said Twizeyimana.

The fire is most likely caused by a technical problem, the spokesperson said, adding that the cause of the accident is still unknown and the investigations have started to ascertain the cause.

"We always tell the drivers to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition ahead of any journey. But they have not paid much attention," he added. Enditem