Tens of passengers narrowly escaped with their lives after a bus caught fire near the Gitaru Interchange connecting Wangige and the Southern Bypass.
The incident, which took place on the morning of Monday, April 28, saw the bus, attached to the Guardian Angel company, burst into flames from the back, leaving passengers scampering for safety.
Videos and photos of the incident obtained by Kenyans.co.ke show the bus's back left side badly burnt, with witnesses saying the fire emanated from the rear wheels, which got jammed.
Firefighters responded swiftly to the scene and managed to contain the blaze before it could spread further. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, and all passengers were safely evacuated.
A traffic officer at the scene struggled to disperse the growing crowd and was heard warning onlookers that the fire could reignite, noting that tyres are highly flammable.
Expectedly, the Monday morning incident caused a temporary traffic disruption at the Gitaru interchange, as the bus was briefly rendered immobile with a considerable part of the rear wheels badly damaged from the fires.
Incidents of buses catching fire in Kenya have been prevalent in recent months, with a worrying trend showing that long-distance buses are the most affected.
As recently as August 2024, a 60-seater passenger bus burst into flames at the Mtito Andei area, located along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.
Preliminary reports suggest the Mtito Andei fire might have been caused by a technical failure. Following the incident, firefighters were quickly dispatched to the scene to help put out the fire, which had engulfed the bus.
Dig deeper: Bus fires occur due to different reasons, ranging from engine malfunctions to electrical faults. In the Guardian Angel bus incident, the fire, which stemmed from the rear wheels, could have been a result of overheated brakes.
Long-distance buses tend to experience overheated brakes, especially when they travel through hilly and high-traffic areas, since the rear brakes are used to regulate the bus's speed.
Poor maintenance of the bus tends to aggravate the situation since worn-out brake pads and discs will experience more pressure from worn-out parts. This friction from these parts can ignite a flame, which can grow once it interacts with flammable items like the tyres.
Jammed axles also create intense friction and can generate heat just enough to start a fire.
