Double decker bus bursts into flames in the middle of Kingston town centre
Two fire crews battle blaze as orange flames engulf back of vehicle
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A bus has burst into flames in the middle of a street in south west London.
The driver escaped and was rushed to hospital after a 371 bus burst into flames near the Guildhall/Rose Theatre stop in High Street, Kingston.
Two fire crews battled with the blaze as bright orange flames engulfed the back of the vehicle.
It was not clear whether any passengers were on the bus but London Ambulance Service staff were at the scene to treat people for smoke inhalation.
Martin Delaney, who witnessed the fire, described the scene as “chaotic”.
"The road was taped off, there were acrid burning smells, local shops' fire alarms or smoke detectors had been triggered - it was quite a mess," Mr Delaney said.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said local residents were evacuated "as a safety precaution" and road closures were in place.
Tony Akers, Transport for London's head of bus operations, said the cause of the fire was not known, but a "full investigation" would take place.
There were no casualties in the incident.
Press Association contributed to this report.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments