Aging circuit causes Xinjiang bus fire

An aging circuit has been identified as the cause of a fatal bus fire on Monday morning in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to local authorities.

One person died and at least six others were injured after a bus on the 528A route caught fire around 11:30 a.m. on Guangming Road in Urumqi, said the Urumqi municipal government.

"The bus was running and we heard a sudden sound. Suddenly, there was a big fire on the bus," said an injured male passenger about 50 years old, whose hair was burned.

"Dark smoke quickly filled the bus. I stopped the bus, tried but failed to close the natural gas valve," said the bus driver, who received serious burns in the accident.

The 528A bus route is managed by Xinjiang Haotian Transport Co., Ltd., a private local company.

The six injured people were taken to local hospitals by emergency responders.

Witnesses said that other injured passengers sought medical treatment on their own.

The fire has been extinguished and traffic order has been restored.

Further investigation into the fire is under way.