A Ceres bus en route from San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, to Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, caught fire at 2:40 PM on February 4, 2025, along the National Highway in Barangay Palampas, directly in front of the Ceres bus garage.
The bus driver, Erwin Supilanas, told the Brigada News FM San Carlos that he noticed smoke suddenly coming from the vehicle.
He immediately pulled over, ordered his 15 passengers to evacuate, and opened the engine cover, which burned his fingers and caused skin injuries. Meanwhile, all passengers escaped unharmed.
Workers near the road quickly fetched water from the canal and threw it onto the burning bus. The San Carlos City Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) promptly responded and continues to investigate the cause of the fire.
Another Ceres bus picked up all the passengers and continued the trip.
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.