Tourists safe after Phuket bus catches fire

PHUKET: More than a dozen tourists are safe after the bus they were taking to Patong caught fire yesterday afternoon.

The bus, owned by Jetour Thailand Limited Company, was delivering 14 Chinese tourists from Nonthasak Pier in Rassada to their hotel when the driver noticed smoke emanating from the dashboard.

“I couldn’t stop the bus immediately because there was no place to pull over,” said 52-year-old bus driver Samrueng Rakmun. “But then I saw sparks, so I pulled over anyway, got the tourists to safety and used the fire extinguisher.”

Mr Samrueng called police and rescue workers for help. However, he had already extinguished the fire by the time they arrived.

Police believe that a short circuit may have been the cause of the fire and have no plans to take any legal action against Mr Samrueng or the bus company.

All 14 tourists were transferred to another bus and brought to their accommodation in Patong.

— Winai Sarot