Pupils and their teachers have escaped without injury following a bus fire incident at Barna in West Limerick.

Gardai revealed nobody was hurt when the 45-seater bus - which was taking the group home from a school tour - became engulfed in flames, although the passengers were said to be traumatised by the incident.

The Irish Times reports that the vehicle is owned by a private operator and was destroyed by the blaze, which occurred at 18:30 local time yesterday (June 10th) in the village located between Newcastle West and Templeglantine.

Firefighters from Newcastle West were able to successfully extinguish the fire, while part of the Newcastle West and Tralee road was cordoned off for a number of hours, with traffic diverted to the old Barna road as a consequence. 

The cause of the fire is not yet known, although it is thought that the bus was heading up a steep hill at the time.

This incident is the second of its kind within a week, as 44 pupils and five teachers escaped unharmed when their bus recently set aflame as it passed through the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork. 

Written by Donal Walsh

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