Driver and 3 passengers on board as city bus becomes inferno, Indiana officials say
A massive fire on an Indiana city bus may have been started intentionally by a passenger, according to officials.
The Indianapolis Fire Department said the driver of the IndyGo bus noticed smoke coming from the vehicle shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday, April 24.
The driver pulled to the side of the road at a bus stop, and he and three passengers managed to escape before the blaze intensified, firefighters said.
Video shared on Facebook by Mark Martinez shows the bus parked at the corner of 38th Street and Meridian Street. Heavy black smoke filled the area, with the front of the bus up in flames.
Firefighters extinguished the fire in 10 minutes, the fire department said. Two passengers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
The fire department said the cause of the fire is under investigation, but an IndyGo spokesperson told McClatchy News it is believed a passenger started the fire.
One person was detained, the Indianapolis Star reported.
The IndyGo spokesperson credited the bus driver’s “quick actions” for the safe removal of the passengers.
Officials said the fire caused $2 million worth of damage to the bus and bus stop.