Sixty pupils from Gospel Primary School narrowly escaped a fatal blaze when the bus they were traveling in erupted into flames on the Queens Highway near Wainadoi, outside Lami, as they headed to a Deuba picnic. The children, accompanied by their parents, first noticed smoke rising from the engine near the driver’s seat, and they escaped through the windows after realizing the doors wouldn’t open.
“We were frightened. We were screaming and jumping out of windows to get out of the bus,” one pupil recalled.
According to accounts, the children were evacuated within minutes before the bus was swallowed by the flames. A parent commented that imagining what could have happened “turns me cold.” Etasa Delana, a Gospel Primary School teacher, noted that eight buses were hired from M. Kumar Brothers Ltd of Suva to transport the group for the excursion. She returned from Deuba when she learned some students had not yet arrived and found the bus burning on the highway.
A grandfather of one student criticized the bus’s condition, saying the group could have faced a major disaster if the children hadn’t escaped in time. Mahendra Kumar, owner of the bus company, maintained the bus was in good condition when it left Suva and suggested an electrical fault as a possible cause. He added that if the driver had disconnected the battery wires, the fire might have been contained, but that the driver panicked and prioritized getting the children out. Kumar also noted that emergency responders—Transport Control Board representatives, police, and the fire brigade—arrived, though the fire brigade reportedly had no water to extinguish the flames. He pledged that the bus would be towed away from the highway.
Context and added perspective:
This incident fits a broader pattern in Fiji’s road-transport history, where quick action by drivers, school crews, and local communities has often made the difference between tragedy and survival. Past events, including a 1985 case near Nausori Town in which all 25 passengers survived after a bus plunged into a river, as well as other mid-to-late-1980s crashes, have underscored both the fragility of road travel and the resilience of communities that rally to assist in emergencies. In some instances, rescue efforts were aided by villagers who smashed windscreens and helped pull passengers from wrecks, while in others, conversations around vehicle maintenance and safer transport practices have followed.
What this means for safety and policy:
– Ongoing maintenance and thorough pre-trip checks of public transport vehicles are essential, with emphasis on electrical systems and engine-related risks.
– Drivers should receive regular safety training, including protocols for safely evacuating passengers in an emergency.
– Local authorities should ensure access to sufficient firefighting resources and water supply during incidents, particularly in highway service areas.
– Schools and transport operators might consider establishing standardized trip checklists and clear emergency procedures for large group excursions.
Summary and takeaways:
The near-tragic fire on the Queens Highway ended with all passengers safely out of the bus, thanks to prompt actions by students and adults on board and the quick response of emergency services. While the investigation continues to determine the exact cause, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of vehicle maintenance, driver training, and robust emergency readiness to protect students on school trips. The hopeful takeaway is that with stronger safety measures and swift community and responder cooperation, future incidents can be prevented or mitigated more effectively.
Additional notes for publication:
– Consider a photo caption such as: “School group escapes bus fire on Queens Highway; passengers evacuated before flames took hold.”
– A short sidebar could include a timeline of the event and a nearby-location map to help readers visualize where the incident occurred.
– If available, an official update on the investigation’s findings would be helpful for readers once released.
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