By Jhon Aldrin Casinas and Jel Santos
A bus caught fire while traveling in the EDSA Shaw tunnel in Mandaluyong City on Friday night.
A passenger bus caught fire along EDSA-Shaw Tunnel northbound at 6:35 p.m. (ROCKEY DESINGAÑO / MONICA PANTALEON / MANILA BULLETIN)
Celine Pialago, spokesperson of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), said the fire started around 6 p.m., and was put out at 7:20 p.m.
All passengers were unharmed, the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) Mandaluyong told Pialago.
“So far walang injured and casualty,” Fire Supt. Christine Cula, city fire marshal, confirmed with the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.
Cula though placed the fire at around 6:35 p.m. and said was declared fire out roughly thirty minutes later at around 6:57 p.m.
Pialago said firemen had to walk some distance and navigate the vehicles that clogged the highway in order to access the bus on fire.
“The fire caused heavier traffic than usual. The firemen even had to walk in order to get near the bus,” she said.
Initial investigation showed that the fire started at the rear engine of the bus operated by Valenzuela Transit Service Cooperative (VTSC) with plate number TXX 274.
“The fire started from the back of the bus that’s why the passengers were able to quickly get out of the bus,” the BFP member bared.
About P150,000 worth of damage was recorded.
“Cause of the fire (still) under investigation,” the fire marshal added.