Metro bus catches fire near 6th Road in Rawalpindi, passengers evacuated safely

RAWALPINDI: A Metro bus caught fire near the 6th Road stop in Rawalpindi on Saturday morning, but all passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported.

According to Rescue 1122, the vehicle was passing the 6th Road bus stop when the fire broke out. Rescue teams reached the site and managed to bring the blaze under control, the emergency service said.

The bus was destroyed in the incident, while Metro bus operations between Rawalpindi and Islamabad were suspended after the fire.

Cause yet to be determined

Rescue 1122 said the cause of the fire had not yet been established. Thick smoke rising from the burnt vehicle was visible from a distance.

Videos circulating on social media showed the bus fully engulfed in flames as rescue personnel worked to extinguish the fire.

Previous similar incidents

The incident follows other cases involving Metro buses catching fire in recent years. Last year in Lahore, at least seven passengers were injured after they jumped from a Metrobus that caught fire on Ferozepur Road near Naseerabad Station.

In another similar episode in 2021, a Metro bus near Minar-i-Pakistan station in Lahore caught fire and was completely destroyed. The blaze had apparently been caused by a short circuit.

Saturday’s incident in Rawalpindi did not result in any casualties, but it disrupted service on the Metro route linking Rawalpindi and Islamabad while emergency responders dealt with the fire.

No further details were provided in the report about the extent of the disruption or when services would resume.