Anglian Bus Catches Fire - Updated Report

Anglian's Optare Solo AO57EXA with black smoke coming from the rear

The Great Yarmouth Mercury has just reported that one of Anglian's buses caught fire in Filby earlier this afternoon. The driver and all 22 passengers escaped without injury. The press report and photo is HERE

Since my initial posting I have been contacted by contributor Joe Leathers Watson who was in fact travelling on the bus at the time. Here is his report

'The bus in question was 958 AO57EXA, an Optare Solo, running the 68 from Gorleston to Rackheath and the precise location of the fire was at Croft Hill Farm, Filby.

What happened was passengers at the back first shouted down at the driver saying there is black smoke coming out of the back. The driver immediately stopped the bus and checked the rear and then ran back to evacuate all  passengers and got us all well of the way from the vehicle.

AO57EXA is now fully alight  with the fire crew now in attendance

Within moments of us being evacuated, thick smoke could be seen coming from the bus followed just 5 mins later with flames. 

The driver had already phoned the Anglianbus manager and the Great Yarmouth Fire Brigade, both of whom had a very fast response time. 

While it was being extinguished the bus started tripping out, as the screenwash activated itself together with the windscreen wipers;  it looked like a failed emergency feature. 

I was just glad that everyone was evacuated safely. I am very grateful to the Great Yarmouth Police and Fire Service for their swift response time and how they handled the situation. 

Anglianbus called out Mercedes Minibus RE56OUL in order to enable some passengers to complete their journey'

My thanks to Jamie Skinner for the heads up and to Joe Leather Watson for his report and photos