Double-decker bus fire closes Thames Gateway

A double-decker bus burst into flames and had to be abandoned on a major road east of London.

Transport for London (TfL) said there were no customers on board and no reported injuries to the driver after the blaze closed the eastbound A13 on Friday morning.

A London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesperson said they were called at 09:03 BST to reports of a double-decker bus alight on the A13 near Wennington, close to the London/Essex border.

Firefighters attended and extinguished a fire that damaged most of the bus, and the A13 eastbound carriageway was temporarily closed "to allow crews to work safely".

TfL said the carriageway had reopened on Friday afternoon but there were still delays being reported as a result of the fire.

TfL has apologised for the disruption caused and said it is "working closely with the bus operator, Arriva, to investigate the cause".

Rosie Trew, TfL's head of bus service delivery, said the bus was "out of service" when it caught fire while on a road test on the A13 Thames Gateway.

It is the second London bus to go up in flames in as many days after a double-decker bus caught fire in central London on Thursday.

The back of the number 88 went up in flames at about 06:50 BST outside the Portland Hospital on Great Portland Street.

The LFB said that blaze was under control by 07:00 BST, all passengers were safely evacuated and there were no reported injuries.