PICS | Vosloorus pupils escape injury as scholar transport bursts into flames
Two school pupils and their driver narrowly escaped injury after the scholar transport vehicle they were travelling in burst into flames in Vosloorus, Gauteng, on Thursday morning.
This incident comes days after a horror scholar transport crash in the Vaal in which a minibus taxi carrying learners collided head‑on with a truck near Vanderbijlpark, claiming the lives of 14 pupils.
The driver has since been arrested and faces numerous charges, including culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving.
On Thursday morning, the City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS), saidfirefighters were called to a “well alight vehicle fire” at 6 am in Vosloorus Extension 7, on Inyetsane Street.
DEMS spokesperson William Ntladi said by the time crews arrived, the taxi was already fully engulfed.
“All three occupants managed to get out of the vehicle with no injuries.”
“On arrival, the vehicle was already engulfed in flames, and fortunately, both children and the driver managed to get out of the vehicle with no injuries.”
The two pupils, aged 10 and six and from the same family, were travelling to school when the fire started.
Ntladi says it is believed the blaze began as a result of a mechanical or electrical fault in the engine compartment.
“It is alleged that the fire started due to a mechanical or electrical fault in the engine compartment,” he said.
Although physically unharmed, the children were left badly shaken by the incident. Firefighters provided on-site counselling, while their parents were immediately contacted and called to the scene.
“The two terrified children and their driver were given counselling on scene by firefighters, and their parents were also called immediately to the incident scene,” Ntladi added.
The fire was eventually extinguished, but the kombi sustained extensive damage.
The scene was then handed over to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department for further investigation and rehabilitation.
“Fire was extinguished though the vehicle is extensively damaged by blaze. The scene was handed over to the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department officers for investigations and scene rehabilitation,” Ntladi said.
IOL News