UPDATED: Passengers flee after bus bursts into flames on Dorchester roundabout

The crew stopped and helped evacuate people from the First bus after its engine caught fire.

The back of the single decker caught light as the vehicle approached the football ground roundabout from Weymouth.

The paramedics leapt into action after the blaze broke out on Weymouth Road just after 11.30am on Sunday.

Motorists faced delays as queues built up as the A354 Weymouth to Dorchester road was closed while the incident was dealt with.

Some 14 passengers were evacuated from the First bus safely by the paramedics, who were passing at the time, and the driver.

They alerted the police and fire service to the incident. Firefighters attended to extinguish the blaze.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “There was a report of a bus alight at the football stadium roundabout on the junction of the A35 and the A354 in Dorchester.

“Two crews from Dorchester attended.

“On arrival they found one bus well alight. A single decker vehicle had a fire in its engine compartment extending to the passenger section.

“It was extinguished using two breathing apparatus and three hose reel jets.”

Firefighters brought the blaze under control by noon.

The engine compartment was completely destroyed and a quarter of the passenger compartment was damaged.

The fire service said that the cause of the fire was a mechanical malfunction in the engine compartment.

Firefighters also handed out water bottles to the passengers because of the heat, although no one was injured in the incident. Paramedics also checked the passengers were okay.

Motorists faced delays as police closed the roads while the fire was dealt with and the bus was moved by recovery vehicles.

Diversions were in place at the Monkey’s Jump sending motorists through Martinstown.

The A354 Ridgeway road from the Jurassic roundabout in Weymouth to Dorchester was also closed. The roundabout and one carriageway re-opened before the entire road was re-opened at 12.20pm.

The blaze caused delays and queues as traffic headed to the coast, and especially the seafood festival in Weymouth.

A spokesman for First said: “We can confirm that there was an incident earlier today involving one of our buses.

“This was travelling towards Dorchester at the time on Service 10. The exact cause of the incident is being investigated. “There were passengers on the vehicle at the time but they were evacuated quickly by the driver and there were no injuries. “They were subsequently transferred to other services.

“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience or distress caused and remind customers that such incidents are rare.”

Firefighters were also called to reports of another bus alight at Norden Railway Station in Purbeck on Sunday lunchtime but it turned out to be a overheating rear wheel drum.