Woolwich bus fire: Second London bus fire just one day after critical incident in Wimbledon

Woolwich bus fire: Second London bus fire just one day after critical incident in Wimbledon

WATCH NOW: Police declared critical incident in Wimbledon

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George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 12/01/2024

- 14:53

Updated: 12/01/2024

- 15:41

Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed there were no injuries

A second London bus has burst into flames just one day after flames caused a critical incident.

The hybrid vehicle caught fire in North Woolwich, East London, just 24 hours after an electric bus burst into flames in Wimbledon.


Footage showed the bus ablaze before dawn at the junction of Factory Road and Store Road.

It comes a day after a blast partially destroyed Optare Metrodecker bus on route 200 in Wimbledon in south west London at 7.20am en route to Raynes Park.

A burnt out bus

The aftermath of the blaze was caught on social media

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A London Fire Brigade spokesperson told the Daily Mail: "We were called at 6.49am to reports of a bus on fire on Factory Road in North Woolwich.

"'Firefighters attended and brought the fire under control by 7.55am. One double-decker bus was destroyed by fire.

"A 25-metre (80ft) cordon is currently in place as a precaution. The cause of the fire is under investigation."

TfL's head of buses business development Tom Cunnington told the Daily Mail: "We are working with the operator, GoAhead, and the manufacturer, Alexander Dennis, to investigate the cause of this fire."

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Bus flamesFlames engulfed the bus in WimbledonX/@StevenW65432097

The TfL spokesperson stressed that the bus network in London was still safe to use and that the two bus fires are not being treated as being connected.

A spokesperson for Go-Ahead London said the driver was able to safely leave the vehicle and thanked the emergency services for their "prompt response".

TfL, which has about 1,000 electric buses across its network, confirmed yesterday that it will not withdraw any Metrodeckers from service and has insisted they are safe.

However, City Hall Conservatives have called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to remove all of them from the capital's roads until an investigation has

It was during Boris Johnson's tenure as London Mayor that electric buses were first introduced to the capital in 2014.

Speaking about the fire in Wimbledon, Cunnington told GB News: "Safety is our top priority and we are working with the operator, London General, and the bus manufacturer, Switch, to investigate what happened.

"The bus was quickly evacuated and there are no reported injuries."

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