A school bus inferno has led to the evacuation of more than 30 children on the New South Wales south coast.
NSW Fire and Rescue’s Adam Dewberry said crews were called to the fire near Collins Street and Terralong Street in Kiama about 8.45am on Thursday.
He said 33 children were on the bus when the fire broke out and were safely evacuated along with the driver.
The bus was headed to Kiama Public School and Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School, where the children are students.
Dewberry confirmed that no injuries had been reported and that crews contained the fire within 20 minutes.
Alternative transportation was organized to take the children to school.
The bus was loaded with 200 liters of diesel petrol and NSWFR has been assessing nearby waterways to ensure there are no pollution issues from fuel leaks.
“It’s still burning, so we’ll let it cool more before we move on to investigation and recovery,” Dewberry said.
The bus caught fire shortly before 9am on Thursday in Kiama on the New South Wales south coast.
The bus was carrying 200 liters of diesel fuel and the cause of the fire will be investigated
The bus is operated by Kiama Coaches.
The mother of one of the students took to Facebook to praise the driver.
“I want to publicly thank Gary, who has ensured the safety of my three children while driving them to and from school for several years,” said Belinda Fagan.
‘Everyone knows and loves Gary, the bus driver, because of his kindness and friendly nature. Your efforts today, Gary, leave me struggling to find the appropriate words of gratitude.
‘Hearing from my daughter how she made sure everyone got off the bus safely. You are nothing less than a hero. Thank you.’
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Kiama Public P&C said everyone got off the bus safely and was escorted to school by teachers.