Africa-Press – Cape verde. A bus on line 13, owned by Sol Atlântico, caught fire yesterday on the access ramp to Hospital Agostinho Neto, in Plateau. The vehicle, which was on its way to the workshop, was completely destroyed, but there were no casualties.
As driver Geremias Lopes explained, in statements to the press, at one point he had to interrupt the route to take the aforementioned bus to the workshop of the owner company, in Achada Grande Frente, because there was a strong smell of fuel.
However, he revealed, when they were on the access ramp to Hospital Agostinho Neto, they saw that a lot of smoke was coming from the underside of the bus. Three people, including the driver, had to immediately abandon the vehicle, which soon after exploded.
Fire spread quickly
“The fire started to spread and we didn’t have time for anything, there was no way to put out the flames. When we left, we called the firefighters, who did not come in time and when they arrived the fire had already gained other dimensions”, he declared.
In turn, passenger Lenira Brito, who was inside the bus when the incident took place, said that they started to smell fuel when they were still in the São Pedro neighborhood and that everything happened suddenly.
“I was returning from work. I feel like I was born again because if the doors were locked like they usually are, we could die charred inside the bus,” she revealed.
Call to improve fleet
The passenger took advantage of the situation to appeal to the managers of the public transport company, in order to improve conditions on line 13 because, as she mentioned, the buses that circulate on this line are in “bad conditions and very old”.
“I have been working in the São Pedro neighborhood for five years and we have never had a bus in good condition, there is no comfort, not to mention that the monthly price of the general pass is 2,900 escudos and having a public service with precarious conditions to pay this price does not yes”, he stressed.
wind didn’t help
The deputy commander of the Praia Fire Brigade, Ronaldo Varela, said, at the scene of the incident, that around 4:30 pm they received the alert of a public transport vehicle that caught fire and when they arrived at the scene, the fire had already spread due to the high material. fuel.
“The firefighters arrived here with a firefighting vehicle carrying two tons of water, supported by four personnel. But when they arrived at the scene, the fire had already spread due to the high combustible material that existed in the vehicle. The biggest difficulty registered in fighting the fire was the strong north-south wind that made the action difficult”, he asserted.
However, this official assured that the municipal firefighters were efficient, managed to respond, but the finding made on the spot was a total loss of the vehicle, after about 15 minutes to extinguish the fire.
For More News And Analysis About Cape verde Follow Africa-Press
