When the first reports of a fire in an articulated bus arrived at the fire brigade and 118 operations centers, with considerable smoke production visible from a long distance away, an intervention and rescue scenario similar to that of a week ago was immediately hypothesized. in Guastalla, in the school area, due to a cloud of chlorine which caused obvious discomfort, with over one hundred people visited and taken to available hospitals. But fortunately, the fire that destroyed a diesel Solaris type bus yesterday morning around 8am did not require an extraordinary mobilization, as instead happened in Guastalla.
The firefighters intervened immediately, arriving in force from Reggio and Carpi, with three teams, to put out the flames that had completely engulfed Seta’s vehicle. The fire was noticed shortly after the bus on the extra-urban line 43, which left Fabbrico and had just arrived in Correggio, stopped at the Piazzale 2 Agosto terminal, near the schools, the sports hall and also the Correggio hospital. Luckily, the public transport had reached its destination and the passengers, especially students, were practically on the square, outside the bus.
According to what was told by direct witnesses, the fire spread in a flash: “In a few moments we saw the smoke, then the flames. It all happened in a very short period of time. But everyone was already out of the bus “, declared Davide Casarini, 18 years old, from the fourth Computer Science class at the Einaudi institute. Another student said he noticed sparks, then flames. And shortly before we had smelled fuel. A loss of liquids at the base of the fire cannot therefore be ruled out.
Carabinieri and local police also arrived to remove students and citizens from the fire area. A car that was parked nearby was damaged. While a large cloud of dense, dark smoke rose from Piazzale 2 Agosto, visible from kilometers away. Smoke invaded some buildings near the square, also affecting schools.
“As regards the Einaudi institute – they say from the town hall after an initial check – the regular carrying out of the lessons which already started on time continued, while the Corso high school and the Corso boarding school, in their branch offices, made the students safe for then resume lessons from 9”. As soon as the smoke spread into the surrounding environment, masks were distributed in schools to protect students and staff in the streets. In the late morning the bus was recovered and transported to the Seta depot in Reggio.
