Horrific details of a South Brisbane bus fire that left the driver dead and 11 other people injured have begun to emerge.
Queensland Police have confirmed the 29-year-old male driver was killed when a passenger doused him with a flammable liquid, believed to be petrol, and set him alight in an apparently random attack.
Speaking at a press conference, superintendent Jim Keogh said the bus had just pulled into Moorvale Shopping Centre, on Beaudesert Road at Moorooka, to pick up three more passengers when the assault occurred.
“At that time one of the passengers entered onto the bus and poured a flammable liquid onto the driver and subsequently the driver was set alight and is now deceased.”
You can watch the presser in full below:
The damage to the driver’s cabin was so extensive that Keogh said he “stood little chance” of surviving the fire.
“The fire was substantial… our inquiries indicate it was a rather rapid, a lot of the finer details won’t be known for some time.”
A 48-year-old man was arrested at the scene and is currently being interviewed, though police say there’s no known motive at this stage.
Fire and emergency services were called to the scene at about 9am and had the fire extinguished by 9:20am.
Photos from the site show the victim’s window blown out, with charring around the frame of the cabin.
Serious bus crash in Moorooka, drivers window appears to have shattered. pic.twitter.com/EddDarU72t
— Casey Briggs (@CaseyBriggs) October 28, 2016
A witness driving past caught some of the extensive damage on camera.
The witness was driving past the scene and pulled over. @ABCNewsBrisbane pic.twitter.com/EFweXd4Z74
— Casey Briggs (@CaseyBriggs) October 28, 2016
Traffic is currently being diverted through Mayfield Road so, if you’re in the area, best avoid it completely.
We’ll update you as the story develops.
Photo: Twitter / @caseybriggs.
