A bus transporting 32 school children caught fire outside of Lückhoff Secondary School in Idas Valley at approximately 7:40 on 25 April, according to Gavin Tarentaal, a platoon commander at Stellenbosch Fire and Rescue.
Two firetrucks and a rescue vehicle were dispatched from Stellenbosch Fire and Rescue at around 7:45 am, said Tarentaal.
All 32 children and the bus driver were still on the bus when the fire started, according to Axel Mouton, a medical rescue technician from Metro Ambulance Services, and who was on the scene.
Six children obtained minor injuries and were transported to the Stellenbosch Provincial Hospital by Metro Ambulance Services and ER24, according to Mouton.
A bus transporting 32 school children caught fire outside the Lückhoff Secondary School in Idas Valley at around 7:40 on 25 April, according to Gavin Tarentaal, a platoon commander at Stellenbosch Fire and Rescue. PHOTO: Supplied/Joseph Erasmus
The fire
“The fire started in the engine compartment of the bus,” said Craig van Reenen, a firefighter on the scene, from Stellenbosch Fire and Rescue, via written correspondence with SMF News.
The learners on the bus “noticed smoke coming from the vehicle’s engine”, stated Millicent Merton, directorate of communication at Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
The cause of the fire has, however, not yet been determined, said Van Reenen.
The bus was contracted as a part of the WCED’s Learner Transport Scheme and was transporting learners to Brucker de Villiers Primary, Idas Valley Primary, St Idas Primary and Lückhoff Secondary School, said Merton.
“All passengers and the driver were evacuated before the fire intensified,” explained Van Reenen.
Staff from nearby schools used fire-extinguishers in an attempt to extinguish the fire while they waited for the fire brigade to arrive, said Merton.
“The fire was brought under control within five minutes of the fire brigade’s arrival,” said Van Reenen. “It took [another] twenty minutes to damp down and cool down completely.”
Footage of the bus that caught fire outside Lückhoff Secondary School in Idas Valley recently. VIDEO: Supplied/WhatsApp
Injuries sustained
All of the children and the driver were initially assessed on the scene, according to Mouton.
One of the children sustained minor injuries to his elbow and arm after attempting to break the bus door open, said Mouton.
The rest of the children suffered from shock and hyperventilation, stated Mouton, but the schools have organised trauma counseling for these learners, said Merton.
Swartz Bus Services, the company that owns the bus, declined to comment.
When a school bus recently caught fire in front of Lückhoff Secondary School, there was a lot of smoke from the burning bus. Many of the children therefore had to be treated for smoke inhalation, said Gavin Tarentaal, a platoon commander at Stellenbosch Fire and Rescue. PHOTO: Hannah Theron