Bus catches fire on freeway; all 32 passengers unhurt

Taipei, May 25 (CNA) A tour bus carrying 32 passengers to a soccer game in Taoyuan caught fire on the freeway on Saturday, but no one was injured, according to the National Highway Police Bureau.

The bus was at the 179.8-kilometer mark on National Freeway No. 3, traveling north from Tainan, when the driver pulled over at noon, as he had noticed that there was a problem, the bureau said.

The 32 passengers also got off immediately, the bureau said, adding that they were students and teachers from Tainan Municipal Houjia Junior High School.

Shortly after, a blaze broke out on the bus and the fire brigade was called, the bureau said, adding that the fire was quenched by 12:10 p.m.

While the incident caused a traffic jam for about 1 kilometer on the northbound freeway, there were no injuries, it said.

The 32 passengers were later picked up by another bus, the bureau said, adding that the cause of the incident is being investigated.