20 January 2023 , 12:00
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Massive plumes of smoke were spotted in East London after a 30-seater bus caught fire with three special needs children on board.
The bus was confirmed as a Hackney SEND school bus, which caught fire and forced the evacuation of the children inside.
Witnesses said the intensity of the fire caused nearby cars to melt and windows to smash in nearby homes. One of the children's mothers took the children away from the fire and into her home to shield them from the blaze.
None of the children were reported to have been injured.
Hackney Council said they are offering support to those involved and believe the incident to be isolated.
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In a statement, Councillor Caroline Woodley, Cabinet Member for Families, Parks and Leisure said the bus "was carrying three primary school children and was forced to stop after smoke was detected from the front of the vehicle."
A total of 42 calls were made about the blaze (LundunFeeldz/Twitter)She added: "The bus was quickly evacuated and nobody was injured. The mum of one of the children took all those involved into her home where they were shielded from the sight of the blaze.
"I want to thank the mother and the Council staff whose swift actions today ensured the safety and wellbeing of the children."
It is not yet known what caused the fire. The council said safety inspections on the vehicles occurred every 10 weeks and that "fleet vehicles owned and operated by Hackney are maintained to a very high standard."
It is not yet known what caused the fire (Natalie Armitage/Twitter)Further inspections will be taking place in light of the blaze.
Witness and local resident Tamzin Davies said: "Obviously all the children were taken very quickly. I think that's everyone's main concern.
"I believe it was put out rather quickly however, the damage in that short amount of time is enormous."
Another witness to the aftermath questioned why the bus was left on the roads for a number of hours after the incident.
Witness and local resident Tamzin Davies said the children were taken to safety quickly (PA)They said: "How is it possible a school bus can blow up with children on it who were thankfully rescued, be on fire and just be left for hours?"
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) received 42 calls to the large blaze that also damaged six other vehicles on Wilton Way.
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In a statement, LFB said: "Firefighters tackled a bus fire on Wilton Way in Hackney this morning (January 20).
"A 30-seater bus was damaged by fire. Six other vehicles and a small part of several surrounding properties were also damaged by the blaze.
"All passengers had left the vehicle before the Brigade arrived. There have been no reports of injuries."
The fire melted cars nearby (Natalie Armitage/Twitter)Firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control after the first calls were made at 8:13am this morning. Nobody is yet believed to be injured in the incident.
Videos of the incident captured the bus alight in the middle of the road and car alarms could be heard as LFB sent jets of water from their hoses onto the fire.
Firefighters tackled this bus fire in Wilton Way in Hackney this morning. (PA)The smoke and videos made locals aware of the blaze and one person on Twitter wrote: "Is there a fire in London Fields? Just saw mad smoke from my train."
LFB added: "The Brigade’s 999 Control Officers took 42 calls about the blaze. The Brigade was called at 0813 and the fire was under control by 0920. Firefighters from Bethnal Green Fire Station attended the scene."
The fire was put out after 9am (PA)A LFB spokesperson told MyLondon: "We sent one fire engine to a bus alight on Wilton Way at 8.13am this morning. The incident was over by 9.20am."
Earlier this week, a double-decker bus burst into flames in Temple Meads, Bristol.
Flames engulfed the vehicle and the A4 Temple Gate had to be closed in both directions.
The fire service confirmed that nobody was injured in the incident, as pictures showed the back of the bus badly burned by the blaze.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement: "Crews from Temple were called at 10:05 to reports of a bus on fire on the approach to Bristol Temple Meads.
"On arrival, firefighters found a double-decker bus well alight and used two 45mm jets to tackle the blaze. Two firefighters wore breathing apparatus for safety.
"The fire is now extinguished and crews remain at the scene to ensure its safety. There were fortunately no casualties."