TfL to investigate after electric bus caught fire in south London
Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters attended the scene in Wimbledon, where witnesses said they heard a "loud bang".
Thursday 11 January 2024 12:50, UK
An electric double-decker bus caught fire in south London this morning, with TfL saying it will investigate the cause.
Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters attended the scene in Wimbledon after they were called at 7.21am.
A 25m cordon and road closures are in place, the London Fire Brigade said.
Tom Cunnington, TfL's head of buses business development, said: "Safety is our top priority and we are working with the operator, London General, and the bus manufacturer, Switch, to investigate what happened.
"The bus was quickly evacuated and there are no reported injuries."
Video and pictures from the scene showed flames coming from the bus and smoke filling the street.
"We heard a huge bang. We were terrified," a witness told City AM.
Another witness tweeted: "Not what we expect to see on the school run. Bus on fire - and the fumes are awful."
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said an ambulance crew and hazardous area response team were sent to the scene.
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A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said they were called at 7.23am to reports of a bus on fire.
"Road closures and cordons are in place. We expect them to remain for some time," the force said.
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Merton Police urged the public to avoid the Wimbledon Hill Road area.