40 passengers evacuated after SMRT bus engine catches fire on PIE

A fire broke out in the engine compartment of an SMRT bus as it was travelling along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) around 10:30pm on Oct. 5.

SMRT "safely transferred all 40 passengers onboard to the next bus to continue their journeys", said the deputy managing director of SMRT Buses, Vincent Gay, in response to Mothership's queries.

After the engine compartment started emitting smoke, the bus captain stopped the bus at a safe location and alerted SMRT’s Bus Operations Control Centre.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was also alerted to the fire along the PIE towards Tuas after the East Coast Park exit.

Before it arrived, the fire had burnt itself out, SCDF told Mothership.

According to Gay, the smoke was put out by the automated fire extinguisher system installed on SMRT buses.

No injuries were reported.

The affected bus has been towed back to the depot, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Footage of the incident

Someone riding a different bus along the same route was able to take a video of the affected bus in smoke.

Shared by sgfollowsall, the video showed smoke rising from the back of the bus, which had stopped at the road shoulder of the PIE.

A large group of people can be seen walking in a line away from the affected bus and along the shoulder.