Bus Accident: Rita Related

[Virgo10]

Oh my, this is just awful!

DALLAS -- As many as 20 nursing home patients were killed early Friday when a busload of elderly Hurricane Rita evacuees from the Houston caught fire then was rocked by a series of explosions on gridlocked Interstate 45, a Dallas County Sheriff's spokesman said.

The bus loaded with 43 passengers was engulfed with flames, causing a 17-mile backup on a freeway that was already heavily congested with evacuees from the Gulf Coast.


"Deputies were unable to get everyone off the bus," spokesman Don Peritz said. "We believe it's gonna be closer to 20 fatalities."


A Dallas County Medical Examiner told KXAS-TV that they are expecting as many as 24 fatalities.

By early Friday morning, the bus was reduced to a blackened, burned-out shell, surrounded by numerous police cars and ambulances.

Peritz said it appears a mechanical problem aboard the bus caused a fire that reached oxygen tanks belonging to the elderly passengers.

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[Tracey1974]

What?! CNN only said 1 fatality. So horrible.....

 

[ducklite]

The saddest part is that if people would jsut spend the $10 to carry a fire extinguisher in their car, many more could have been rescued as people from other vehicles nearby contained the flames.

PLEASE, use this as a tragic lesson learned, and carry a small fire extinguisher in your car. They are inexpensive and take up very little space, and could save a life!

Anne

 

[happybratpack]

This literally makes me ill. What a horrible way to die for those poor people.

 

[AllyandJack]

It just keeps getting worse and worse.

 

[Traveliz]

The saddest part is that if people would jsut spend the $10 to carry a fire extinguisher in their car, many more could have been rescued as people from other vehicles nearby contained the flames.

PLEASE, use this as a tragic lesson learned, and carry a small fire extinguisher in your car. They are inexpensive and take up very little space, and could save a life!

Anne

Gosh I don't know about that -- my car caught on fire while I was in it driving it on an interstate 19 years ago...I didn't know it was on fire but a truck driver and another driver realized what was going on and got me to slow down - I could then see the fire shooting out the back. I slowed to a stop, got myself and my passengers out and by this time at least 5 trucks had stopped (they all knew what was going on through radio contact) and ran to my car with fire extinquishers and were not able to stop or slow the fire at all. It was a complete loss. The fire quickly excelerated once I slowed down to the stop. Furthermore after a few seconds it would have been foolish for bystanders (even with fire extinquishers) to be standing that close. Its one think for firefighters with protective gear to be near a fire but another for a bystander with a 10.00 extinquisher and no special clothes.

Still I agree its an unfortunate tragedy but from my personal experience in a complete and total car fire one that I don't think could have been averted by even a half dozen fire extinquishers.

Liz

 

[Mom2Ashli]

Oh very sad.