The insistence of a passing driver in Ayia Napa averted a tragedy in Ayia Napa today, as his constant honking alerted the driver of a public bus that his engine was on fire.
The driver, on route to Dheryneia, calmly pulled the bus to one side of the road, near the Ayia Napa roundabout and all 15 passengers and himself exited safely.
As the Public Buses Company Personnel Manager Panikos Amirayias told Philenews, the driver following the bus, saw the fire and started honking, so ‘the bus driver would realise that something was wrong. He was alerted quickly and got everyone off the bus safely. They were soon on another bus to their destination. Luckily, the worst was prevented’.
The bus driver attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher and the help of a passing driver. But the bus was gutted in minutes. Crews on two vehicles rushed from the Famagusta station and tackled the blaze.
According to Amirayias, the bus in question has been operating for 11 years and went through technical checks about a year ago. The fire service and the electromechanological department are working to establish the cause of the fire.
