Double decker bus fire
On the evening of Sunday 12 March, a 220 bus caught on fire in Hammersmith. Nobody was injured, but the people on board said that it was definitely a close call. Passengers were sitting on the bus, which was heading towards Wandsworth, when they noticed smoke coming from the bus. It was not long before the bus started to fill with smoke and the driver made a decision to evacuate. All the people promptly alighted from the bus before it burst into flames, belching out huge clouds of smoke. The blaze was eventually put out by firemen.
Pedestrians took it into their own hands to control the situation, diverting traffic and directing the arriving fire-engines and police cars to the site, whilst others stood around and took photos on their camera phones. One distressed passenger said he "believed that if the incident had happened later at night, when people fall asleep on buses or pass out due to intoxication, the outcome could have been very different".
A similar event occurred in August last year, with widespread panic leading to people jumping from the top deck. Again, no one was seriously injured.
Hammersmith is densely populated by Imperial students, especially medics, with many using the 220 bus route frequently.
