About thirty women and children on Friday escaped death by whiskers after a Coaster bus conveying them went into flames in Onitsha, Anambra state.

The victims were said to be heading to Ebonyi State for a prayer meeting when the incident occurred along Innosi Onira/Boromew roundabout along Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

The Nation gathered that all passengers trapped in the bus were rescued before the bus went into flames.

Narrating her ordeal, one of the passengers, Mrs. Virginia Ogbuogwu who claimed she was sitting beside the driver, said many of them sustained varying degrees of injury.
 
She said, “I suddenly noticed the driver was feeling uncomfortable after stopping at intervals and checking the dashboard.

“Immediately he saw smoke coming out from the bus, he quickly stopped, quietly alighted and disappeared without saying a word to us.”

Another victim, Mrs Paulina Una who sustained injury, said they were taken unawares by the incident which she said occurred in a split of seconds, regretting that they could not retrieve their valuables.

She, however, appreciated God as well as one Mr. Ifechukwuneme Okoye for coming to their rescue.

Reacting, the rescuer, Mr. Okoye, said he was attracted to the bus by one of the victims beckoning for help through the window.

“I quickly ran to the scene, broke the glasses with my hands and rescued them,” he said.

The Nation further learnt that although no life was lost, the victims lost their valuables including food items, cash, phones, among others.