Dark column of smoke

Coach goes up in flames in the middle of Vienna

Dense flames billowed out of the coach.(Bild: Zwefo, Krone KREATIV)

Fire on Friday morning near Vienna's Praterstern: a coach suddenly burst into flames and a dark column of smoke rose. The driver of the vehicle was injured.

At around 8.30 a.m., the coach suddenly caught fire while driving on Nordbahnstraße. The driver parked the vehicle in a parking bay and tried - in vain - to extinguish the fire.

(Bild: APA/STADT WIEN/FEUERWEHR)

Dense flames leapt out of the coach.(Bild: Zwefo, Krone KREATIV)

The coach was fully engulfed in flames at Praterstern.(Bild: „Krone“-Leserreporter)

(Bild: „Krone“-Leserreporter)

The coach was completely burnt out.(Bild: Stefan Steinkogler)

(Bild: Stefan Steinkogler)

Vienna's emergency services took the driver to hospital.(Bild: Berufsrettung Wien (Archivbild))

The man probably suffered smoke inhalation. He was given first aid by the Vienna Professional Rescue Service and taken to hospital. Fortunately, nobody was in the coach apart from the driver.

The firefighters quickly brought the fire under control using two extinguishing lines and breathing apparatus. At the same time, firefighters checked the office building to see if smoke had penetrated into the offices - "the all-clear was quickly given", they said.

The thick column of smoke was visible from afar.(Bild: „Krone“-Leserreporter)

The wreckage of the burnt-out bus was removed from the road. The cause of the fire is still unclear.