Emergency services responded yesterday evening to a dramatic bus fire between Ballon and Carlow town.
The blaze broke out just before 6pm on Friday on a stretch of the N80 between the Fighting Cocks pub and Glynn’s Garage, an area already known for its dangerous bends and history of fatal collisions.
Photos from the scene show a Wexford Bus engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke rising high above the road. Witnesses described the incident as “unbelievable”.
Fortunately, all passengers are believed to have disembarked safely before the vehicle became completely consumed by fire. There were no reports of injuries.
Gardaí in Carlow urged motorists to take care in the area as emergency crews worked to bring the situation under control and begin a cleanup operation. Visibility was said to be poor for a time due to smoke, and traffic built up on approach roads, particularly from the Wexford side.
It’s understood the bus managed to pull in to the roadside before the fire took hold. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
