‘It was very scary’: Bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur catches fire minutes after passengers disembark

SINGAPORE – Noor Ali usually comes to Kuala Lumpur by car or plane, but on February 2, she decided to travel by express bus with two friends.

However, the bus did not arrive at the Berjaya Times Square drop-off point and a fire broke out 20 minutes away at around 1:40pm that afternoon.

The vehicle, operated by Singaporean company Cityline Global, was carrying more than 20 people and was traveling near Serdang on the North-South Expressway when passengers suddenly heard a loud static sound coming from the speakers and smelled smoke.

“The sound was so loud it was almost like a screech. The driver then stopped at the Sungei Besi toll plaza to allow passengers to take a toilet break while he inspected the bus,” said Nuru, 26. told The Straits Times over the phone from Kuala Lumpur.

As Nuru and his friends got off the bus and waited, the driver noticed smoke coming from the luggage compartment of the bus. When I opened it, I discovered that there was a fire.

“He immediately instructed some of the passengers who did not want to take a break to get off the bus. Within five to seven minutes, the fire gradually spread and the bus was in flames. We saw thick black smoke billowing into the sky. It was very scary,” said the educator.

She added that she heard a loud popping sound as a tire burst and a window broke.

The Chinese-language news agency Xinmin Daily reported that the Serdang Fire and Rescue Department dispatched seven firefighters, a fire engine and an emergency medical rescue team’s fire engine to the scene.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department deputy director-general Ahmad Mukhris Mukhtar told Shin Min that nearly 90 per cent of the coach was burnt by the time firefighters arrived at the scene. The fire spread to the roof of the rest area.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, Ahmad said.

“At the time, there were 22 passengers and one driver (12 men and 11 women) on board the bus. Everyone escaped safely and no one was injured.”

All passengers escaped the fire with no injuries, but the passengers’ luggage was destroyed in the fire.

Nur’s luggage contained no valuables, but one of his friends had a spare cell phone.

Noor says: “Our driver was kind and helped us provide the company’s contact information to claim the damaged items. He then contacted the company and listed the items that were in the luggage. It needed to be updated, but there was no clear direction as to when or how compensation would be provided.”

A replacement bus arrived within 30 minutes and all passengers reached their destination safely.

The Straits Times contacted Cityline Global.

The company made headlines in December 2023 when a bus headed from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur skidded off the highway early in the morning, crashed into grass, and turned into a turtle.

There were 37 people on board the bus, including four children. Three people were reported injured.

Noor, who traveled to Kuala Lumpur to shop for her wedding, said she and her friends were still shaken and traumatized by the incident but did not want it to get in the way of their trip.

Once they arrive at their destination, they immediately buy new essentials for their stay in Malaysia and are trying to get through this incident.

Especially since they bought a round-trip ticket for $70 and are scheduled to return to Singapore on the company’s bus on February 4.

“Accidents happen, but no one plans for them. I just hope that my next bus trip will be better,” Noor said.