Wimbledon: Electric double-decker bus catches fire during rush hour
- Published
Watch: Electric double-decker bus bursts into flames in London
An electric double-decker bus caught fire during the morning rush hour in south-west London.
Emergency services were called to Wimbledon Hill Road/Alwyne Road in Wimbledon shortly after 07:20 GMT.
Transport for London (TfL) said the bus was quickly evacuated, and the Met Police said no injuries were reported. The force declared a critical incident.
Max Pashley, a local resident, told City A.M, external.: "We heard a huge bang. We were terrified."
Tom Cunnington, TfL's head of bus business development, said: "Safety is our top priority and we are working with the operator, London General, and the bus manufacturer, Switch, to investigate what happened."
![View of a street in Wimbledon filled with smoke and the glow of flames behind a bus](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/10C95/production/_132275786_778cab56-8e97-44b2-9e74-f89c2962532f.jpg)
The Met declared a critical incident following the blaze
Road closures and cordons are in place and are expected to be for some time.
A Met Police spokesperson said: "We thank the local community for their patience and co-operation as emergency services work at the scene."
People have been advised to avoid the area.
![Presentational grey line](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/464/cpsprodpb/11678/production/_105988217_line976.jpg)
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- Published22 May 2022