Northbound double-decker bus catches fire at Sungai Perak R&R

KUALA KANGSAR, Sept 8 — A northbound double-decker express bus caught fire at the Sungai Perak R&R here today.

Kuala Kangsar Fire and Rescue Station chief Mohd Taufiq Mohd Sattar said the bus suddenly caught fire at the stop at 1pm but no one was injured in the incident.

It is learnt that the bus carrying 12 passengers and two drivers was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, he said.

"The fire broke out after all the passengers had alighted from the double-decker bus," he told Bernama here.

Mohd Taufiq said a team of six Kuala Kangsar fire and rescue personnel, assisted by their Meru Raya colleagues, rushed to the scene on receiving a distress call at 1.57pm.

He said the fire destroyed 80 per cent of the vehicle and the cause of the blaze is being investigated.

Meanwhile, PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) in a statement thanked the fire and rescue team for its quick action in putting out the fire within 20 minutes.

 PLUS said it had been working closely with enforcement and emergency agencies to ensure that its safety measures on highways were of the highest level.

"The PLUS safety standards measure that assigned additional teams during the long holidays or festive seasons proved to be effective. It is also one of PLUS's main goals to take care of its customers on their journey across its network of highways," it said.

 -- BERNAMA