AN investigation has been launched after a bus caught fire in Co Donegal with 15 passengers onboard.
The blaze on the Bus Éireann Expressway coach happened just outside Letterkenny on Thursday shortly before 9pm.
The vehicle, which had been travelling to Dublin, had just left a nearby bus station when it burst into flames at the Dry Arch Roundabout. All 15 passengers and the bus driver were able to escape and no-one was injured.
There were reports that "small explosions" were heard inside the bus before the fire started.
An eye-witness told RTÉ: "We were driving past it and all you could see was this huge fire in the distance and we suddenly noticed it was a bus on fire.
"It was pretty frightening. Hopefully nobody was injured.
"The fire brigade and gardaí were there pretty quickly but there was a huge traffic tailback."
A Bus Éireann spokeswoman said a "comprehensive and thorough investigation" into the cause of the blaze would take place.
"All 15 passengers on board and the driver evacuated safely and the fire has been extinguished," she said.
"Bus Éireann would like to thank the emergency services, our driver and passengers for their rapid and effective response to the situation."
She added that it was an "exceptionally rare occurrence in our fleet".
Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin TD for Donegal, last night described the incident as "shocking".
"Thankfully reports are that no one has been injured and once again well done to our emergency services," he said.
