A BUS carrying passengers caught fire on a busy road.

The fire started while the bus was travelling along the A449 in Ombersley, near Worcester, just after 1pm yesterday.

But fortunately the passengers were able to get out of the bus and onto the roadside before the flames took hold.

Several were tended to by paramedics but all were unharmed, but the bus driver, who is in his 60s, was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.

The blaze is thought to have started in the engine compartment of the Diamond Bus service and the police are not treating it as suspicious.

Rachel Stringer, from Martley, was driving behind the coach when it caught fire.

The 34-year-old said: "The coach was driving on the A449 towards Worcester when it pulled up on the left hand side of the road.

"It was already alight but everyone managed to get out of the coach before the fire really started.

"After they had got off the coach the people were further down so the ambulance couldn't get to them because of the smoke and flames.

"There was fuel all over the carriageway and there were a few explosions, like a popping sound or a bang.

"Black smoke was everywhere and it just got worse.

"It looked like it was a coach of adults.

"It was surprising - I literally had just got off the carriageway and went onto the slip road and it wasn't until I was on the A449 I was like 'oh look at that'.

"There were idiots trying to overtake the ambulance even though the coach was burning and there were flames and smoke and the chance it could have exploded.

"But I'm just glad nobody was hurt, that's the main thing."

Julie Cox, who also witnessed the incident, said: "We were the car right behind the bus.

"Smoke was billowing out from the back of the engine.

"He [the driver] pulled up on the slip road and offloaded his passengers.

"You could tell it was going to burst into flames. It was very frightening."

The A449 in Ombersley was closed in both directions after the incident, although the northbound carriageway was re-opened shortly afterwards.

A slip lane and another lane remained closed on the southbound side due to fire damage to the road.

Resurfacing work to repair the damage is set to take place today.

It is believed about half a dozen passengers were on board the bus.

Emergency services were called to the scene on the A449 southbound, in Ombersley, at 1.07pm yesterday

The ambulance service sent two ambulances and a paramedic area support officer to the scene.

Fire crews used two breathing apparatus, two hose reels and a thermal image camera to tackle the blaze.

A Diamond Bus spokesman said: "Passengers were safely transferred onto a replacement vehicle as quickly as possible, with minimal disruption to service and there were no injuries to passengers on-board.

"The vehicle involved had successfully passed an MOT examination within the last few days and the exact cause of the fire is under investigation by our operations team.

"Until those investigations are complete it would be inappropriate to speculate as to the cause.”