SporTran bus explodes at bus stop; all CNG buses pulled from service
A Shreveport bus exploded Wednesday afternoon while stopped at a bus stop on North Hearne and Forum Drive in west Shreveport.
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SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — A Shreveport bus exploded Wednesday afternoon while stopped at a bus stop on North Hearne and Forum Drive in west Shreveport.
Smoke started coming from the bus, prompting the 11 passengers and driver to get off before it became engulfed in flames. A dialysis center across the street was evacuated as a precaution, but no injuries were reported among the bus passengers or people nearby.
“The bus driver pulled us off to the side of the road. She immediately jumped off the bus and went to the back. She saw the fire and told everybody to get off the bus. About five minutes later, the explosion happened,” said passenger Kevin Scott.
The bus is fueled by compressed natural gas. The fire ignited from one of the CNG fuel tanks.
“I actually started walking off because I was trying to get somewhere. I was near the McDonald’s on Hearne and I felt the explosion when it happened,” said Scott.
As a result of that, SporTran is pulling CNG buses for tonight’s service, SporTran Executive Director Dinero Washington said.
Maintenance inspections are underway for all CNG buses in the fleet to make sure they’re safe for public use. Until then, non-CNG buses will be used, Washington said.
This bus involved in Wednesday’s incident was inspected two months ago. It was in line to be retired and replaced with a new bus for that route.
A witness told KTBS he saw a 30-foot fire plume coming out of the top of the bus and it wasn’t long after that when it exploded.
“We watched it throw shrapnel over in the housing complex, across the street, and then a chunk of metal, probably, we’re 100 yards away from it, I guess, and it landed at our fence and it was a huge chunk of aluminum off the bus,” he said.
Shreveport firefighters said the road is damaged as well as buildings on either side of the street, including the dialysis center.
The state police hazmat team has been contacted since the incident is CNG related.
Meanwhile, all of the remaining bus routes will run as normal.
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