Flames engulf double decker bus in Coventry rush hour
A bus driver has been taken to hospital after a double decker bus caught fire.
The driver has been praised by ambulance staff who said he ensured all passengers were off the bus before getting off himself. Emergency services were called to Warwick University campus in Coventry just after 09:00 BST. The fire, which began in the bus's engine, is now out but Gibbet Hill Road remains closed while owners National Express arranges for it to be removed. "There seems little doubt that his actions ensured the situation was not considerably more serious," a spokesperson from West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) said of the driver. "He noticed the smoke and flames coming from the engine compartment of his bus, he stopped immediately and then made sure that all the passengers were off before leaving the vehicle himself." The driver was treated at the scene for effects of smoke before being taken to hospital. Witness Aaron Ayers-Hunt said he saw a "large amount of smoke billowing in the sky" at about 09:15 BST. "There were lots of university students walking around in pyjamas," he said, which is when he saw the bus on fire. Francesca Allaby, a forensic ecologist working at the university, said she "heard a loud bang when I was parking up earlier, and lots of sirens". The University of Warwick said it expects the road to be reopened by 15:00 BST. National Express said it will be carrying out a full investigation into what happened. Related Internet Links West Midlands Ambulance Service West Midlands Fire Service National Express Group PLC University of Warwick