Section of Nicosia-Limassol highway closed as bus catches fire (update 2)

A section of the Nicosia-Limassol motorway has closed temporarily because of a fire on a bus, police said in a message on Twitter a little after noon on Tuesday.

The section is just before the Kophinou exit, near Kakoradjia forest, in the direction of Nicosia to Limassol, it added.

Fire services spokesman Andreas Kettis said that passengers and the driver were safe and that there is no cause for concern.

In a message on Twitter, the spokesman said the fire broke out as the bus was in motion. Police and the fire service’s Emak unit responded with two fire engines. Passengers and the driver were taken to safety, he said.

The fire appears to have started in the engine and spread to the passenger area and dry grass.

“The fire is under control. Arrangements are being made to transport the passengers to their destination,” he added.

The company operating the bus, Intercity Buses, said the vehicle had suffered a mechanical problem at around noon on Tuesday while carrying out the Nicosia-Limassol route.

The driver stopped the bus and implemented the safety protocol, evacuating the passengers’ and unloading their luggage. He then tried to extinguish the fire with the fire extinguisher on the bus, but the fire spread into the interior, which was destroyed.

The company immediately sent a second bus to pick up the passengers and take them to their destination.

It said the affected bus was eight years old, was in very good condition and had recently passed the necessary checks, securing the required certificates.

The exact cause of fire will be determined once an investigation is by authorities and the company is completed.