25 killed in China bus fire
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BEIJING – At least 25 people died and dozens were hurt Friday when a packed commuter bus burst into flames and was destroyed within minutes during the morning rush hour in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.
Videos posted online and shown on state television showed thick black smoke and flames pouring from the bus on the side of a busy highway. One badly burned woman was shown lying on the road with a man standing nearby, his clothes burned off.
A total of 76 people were injured, with six of them in intensive care, city government spokesman Ma Zhixiong said.
State broadcaster CCTV cited witnesses as saying the sealed, air-conditioned bus caught fire without an explosion and then burned rapidly. Like many vehicles in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, the bus ran on natural gas rather than gasoline.
Interviewed by a Web site operated by the Chengdu city government, resident Tao Shoulang said he was sitting in the front row with his grandniece when the bus filled with smoke so quickly that he was unable to see the driver.
Pedestrians rushed to break the vehicle's windows, allowing Tao to toss the little girl to safety before scrambling out. Both sustained only minor injuries.
Previous fires and explosions aboard public buses in China have been blamed on rogue bombers or people seeking revenge for perceived slights, but mechanical problems are not uncommon. Three people were killed last year in a fire aboard a sealed, air-conditioned bus in Shanghai, with witnesses saying some passengers were trapped because windows could not be opened and at least one door was stuck shut.
Wang Hongyan, a professor at Tongji University's vehicle design institute in Shanghai, said such buses should be equipped with hammers to allow passengers to break windows, but China's national regulations don't currently require that.
Wang said natural gas used by buses is stored in tanks at extremely high pressure, increasing the risk of ignition in the event of a leak.
"Once the tank is breached, the gas will leak very quickly," she said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090605/ap_on_re_as/as_china_bus_fire
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Another Country, Mu mai da, Singapore, Understood?
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*pity*
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Free on 13 June?
Come and join me on GCA outing! Nn to who knows when!
http://www.sgforums.com/forums/3296/topics/363064 for more info
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the outside doesnt look as chaodar as 1110S leh
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According to Malay news, the bus is on service 9
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I wonder, is our singapore buses running on natural gas?? Cause there're a few incidents I've personally experienced whereby there is some burning smell on the bus and all passengers are forced to evacuate, with a complimentary ticket. Makes me really wonder if buses in singapore are safe... even some of our buses has hammers, but I don't know how to use those small small dainty hammers they have near the windows. Maybe I should carry my own big iron hammer whenever I board a bus.
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Originally posted by cyberr1981:
I wonder, is our singapore buses running on natural gas??
Cause there’re a few incidents I’ve personally experienced whereby there is some burning smell on the bus and all passengers are forced to evacuate, with a complimentary ticket.
Makes me really wonder if buses in singapore are safe…
even some of our buses has hammers, but I don’t know how to use those small small dainty hammers they have near the windows. Maybe I should carry my own big iron hammer whenever I board a bus.
Most of our buses is running on Diesel.
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Under normal conditions and when in good order, a natural-gas fuelled bus is very safe. Gas cylinders are now fastened to the roof-top and each cylinder has it's own valve. In addition, the whole fuel system is sealed from the atmosphere, which means under normal conditions, there is little if any unburned fuel in the engine bay. Additional shut-off valves are located in the engine bay and their job is to ensure that natural-gas only flows into the engine when it is operating. The fuel storage cylinders themselves are tested to exacting standards and can withstand twice their rated pressure, gunfire, and heavy impacts. Gas cylinders rarely rupture - gas leaks are more commonly caused by faulty electromagnetic valves or improperly installed rings/fittings. In the event of a gas leak, the gas quickly disperses into the atmosphere, creating a non-ideal ignition environment.
Regards,
Dave -
Originally posted by cyberr1981:
I wonder, is our singapore buses running on natural gas??
Cause there’re a few incidents I’ve personally experienced whereby there is some burning smell on the bus and all passengers are forced to evacuate, with a complimentary ticket.
Makes me really wonder if buses in singapore are safe…
even some of our buses has hammers, but I don’t know how to use those small small dainty hammers they have near the windows. Maybe I should carry my own big iron hammer whenever I board a bus.
SBST has a few CNG buses (SBS2988M to SBS2999G), but they seem to be safer than SMRTB's bendies whereby the bendies had many fire cases (TIB1110S, TIB1063U, TIB900K, TIB1105H, etc.) and also their 12-metre buses (TIB643C) -
I think with proper maintenance, such hiccups can be reduced.
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forgot to check and top up radiator water?
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SBST always hear is the NON-cng ones that get deep-fried. 3833U 1921L 972X to name a few. and the VO on 182 as well.
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Originally posted by MyPillowTalks:
siao! burn damn fast leh