If you were passing by the area around Mid Valley Megamall this morning (5th March), you may have noticed a commotion. As it turns out, a Rapid KL bus near that area had suddenly caught fire mid-journey!
Reportedly, the fire occurred at 8am this morning, on the road between Jalan Syed Putra and Jalan Klang Lama. Thankfully, firefighters were quick to arrive on the scene and there were no casualties from the incident.
According to Sin Chew Daily, the passengers had been the first to notice the fire, which allegedly started from the back of the bus. After being notified, the Rapid KL bus driver quickly pulled over on the side of the road, turned off the engine and got the seven passengers riding the bus to leave the vehicle.
A Hang Tuah Fire and Rescue Station spokesperson told the media that they received a call regarding the incident at 8:06am and dispatched sixteen firefighters and six fire engines to the scene immediately. Upon arrival, they got the fire under control using water from the fire engine’s auxiliary pipe.
However, the Rapid KL bus was apparently very badly damaged. “The bus was almost completely razed at an estimated 90%,” Senior Operations Commander Mohd Suhaimi Mohd Razali later stated. Reportedly, they are still looking into the cause of the fire.
The incident unfortunately caused local traffic to be backed up for about 20 minutes this morning. But, we’re sincerely glad no one was injured by the flames. Hopefully, Rapid KL will look into the issue and take the necessary steps to keep their passengers and bus drivers safe.
Update (2:15pm, 5th March 2024):
Rapid KL has since issued a statement, apologsing for the incident this morning. They have confirmed that no one was injured from the fire and are still investigating the cause of the fire. “Rapid Bus apologsies to the passengers who were put at risk due to this incident and we will be giving our full cooperation to the firemen and police for a thorough investigation,” the statement said.
Watch clips here:
Sebuah bas Rapid KL yang dinaiki terbakar di Jalan Syed Putra menghala ke Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, pagi tadi.
Video: Sosial Media#malaysiagazette #mgviral #basrapidterbakar #basterbakar #jalanklanglama pic.twitter.com/32jNyv7tKO
— Malaysia Gazette (@MalaysiaGazette) March 5, 2024
Double decker RapidKL bus destroyed 90% after catches fire at Jalan Syed Putra
#latest #vanakkammalaysia #Double #decker #RapidKL #bus #destroyed #90% #catches #firen #Jalan #Syed #Putra #trendingnewsmalaysia #malaysiatamilnews #fyp #vmnews #foryoupage pic.twitter.com/5xlUEKiTFP
— Vanakkam Malaysia (@vmnews) March 5, 2024
Sources: Sin Chew Daily, New Straits Times, Facebook
