As of: March 6, 2024, 7:51 a.m
By: Florian Dörr, Helmut Wenderoth
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A disused bus burned out on the A7.
© Helmut Wenderoth
A bus burns down completely on the A7 and extinguishing the fire is challenging.
The police are currently reporting another 10 kilometers of traffic jams to the south.
Malsfeld - A disused public bus burst into flames during a transfer trip on the A7 on Tuesday (March 5th).
The fire occurred around 11:15 a.m. between Malsfeld and Homberg in the southbound direction.
The driver remained uninjured.
There were kilometers of traffic jams and chaos.
According to the police, two disused buses were to be transferred from Denmark to France on Tuesday.
Heading south, about a kilometer before the Hasselberg-West rest area, the driver of the bus in front noticed that something was wrong with his vehicle.
Bus bursts into flames on A7
His colleague, who was driving directly behind him, signaled him to stop.
The 68-year-old driver from France drove onto the hard shoulder.
He was just able to grab his papers and leave his vehicle quickly before the flames from the engine compartment had already spread to the entire bus.
The cause was probably a technical defect.
Flames erupt from the bus on the A7.
© Helmut Wenderoth
Four Bundeswehr soldiers, who were also traveling on the highway, secured the scene of the accident.
One of them told the
HNA
: “We tried to fight the flames with a fire extinguisher, but it was a wasted effort.”
The Melsungen volunteer fire department responded with 18 emergency services.
The bus was completely engulfed in flames, which were repeatedly fueled by leaking diesel fuel.
Using several foam pipes, those wearing breathing apparatus were able to contain the flames.
Flames repeatedly flared up in the area of the passenger seats of the bus, which were extinguished.
Because of the heavy clouds of smoke that also drifted across the oncoming lane, the police also closed the motorway in a northerly direction.
Southbound traffic was directed past the fire site in the left lane from 1 p.m.
A traffic jam had formed there for several kilometers up to the Melsungen junction.
Buses were each worth around 6,000 euros
As one of the drivers told our newspaper, the two older buses are worth 6,000 euros each.
He was very happy that nothing happened to his colleague and that there were no passengers on board.
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Tight box: Things got tight on the road between Sipperhausen and Oberbeisheim.
© Helmut Wenderoth
Chaotic scenes took place on the road between Sipperhausen and Oberbeisheim.
Many road users, including many trucks, had left the motorway and tried to avoid the closure on this road.
On the narrow road it was a matter of precision work for the truck drivers to get past each other.
The exterior mirrors had to be folded in oncoming traffic.
Only after several hours did the traffic situation ease further on the diversion routes.
(Florian Dörr/Helmut Wenderoth)
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