3 injured after tour bus gutted by fire on Freeway No. 1

Taoyuan, March 28 (CNA) Three people were slightly injured after a tour bus was gutted by fire on National Freeway No. 1 on Saturday, with one of them sent to hospital, authorities said.

According to the National Highway Police Bureau, a report was received at 12:50 p.m. of a bus on fire at the 45-kilometer mark on the southbound Wuyang elevated section, which connects Wugu and Yangmei districts.

Police said the bus, driven by a 47-year-old man surnamed Lin (林), was carrying 24 Taiwanese passengers from Keelung to Kaohsiung when smoke was seen coming from the engine. The driver pulled over and evacuated all passengers before the vehicle caught fire.

The driver suffered eye irritation from smoke inhalation, while two passengers sustained minor abrasions after falling during the evacuation. One of them, a 61-year-old woman surnamed Cheng (鄭), was taken to hospital with a sore head but remained conscious, with no serious injuries reported.

Taoyuan fire officials said the blaze was extinguished at around 1:20 p.m., and traffic alerts were issued to warn motorists. The cause of the fire is under investigation.