Bus catches fire along EDSA

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – A VTSC bus caught fire at EDSA-Shaw Boulevard on Friday night, March 22, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The VTSC bus with plate number TXX 274 burned along the northbound lane of EDSA Shaw tunnel past 6 pm Friday, blocking one lane. 

The MMDA posted about the incident on Twitter.

According to the MMDA, northbound traffic from Ayala to Shaw is slow-moving. 

“Traffic is bad as always pero malala ‘to, hindi na nagalaw hanggang Magallanes (but this is serious because it’s no longer moving until Magallanes),” MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago said. 

A Rappler intern at the scene said firefighters arrived onsite at around 7 pm and managed to put out the fire immediately.  

Pialago confirmed this, saying the fire that started at 6:10 pm was put out by firefighters at 7:20 pm.

She said that according to the Bureau of Fire Protection, there were 42 to 50 passengers in the bus when the incident happened. No injuries were reported.

The fire reportedly started in the back of the bus, where the engine was located. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. – with reports from Aika Rey and Cherline Trajano/Rappler.com