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Bus fire blankets part of Downtown DC in dark plume of smoke
Officials said 41 units and about 125 firefighters responded as Metro grounded similar buses and inspectors checked the tunnel for reopening.
- On Thursday evening, a Metrobus caught fire inside the 9th Street Tunnel in Washington, forcing a major shutdown. No passengers were on board, and the driver escaped without injury as thick smoke billowed over downtown.
- Officials believe a mechanical issue caused the blaze in the hybrid bus. Metro grounded 21 buses from the same subfleet as a precautionary measure while maintenance records undergo thorough review.
- Firefighters mounted a massive response with 41 units and about 125 personnel arriving on scene. Crews carried nearly 900 feet of hose into the tunnel to reach and extinguish the flames.
- The 9th Street Tunnel remains closed while DDOT crews inspect wall and ceiling panels for structural safety. Sharon Kershbaum with DDOT said the inspection will take about four hours before reopening determination.
- "We are a very safe system, we know that we are," General Manager Randy Clarke said, responding to critics. Clarke added Metro will conduct forensic investigations and learn from the incident to improve operations.
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Bus fire fills D.C. tunnel with heavy smoke
A bus caught fire inside a tunnel in Washington, D.C., sending heavy smoke into the air, according to fire officials. No injuries were initially reported. The fire was reported at about 7 p.m. Thursday in the 9th Street tunnel in northwest Washington, according to the DC Fire and EMS Department. Fire officials said the Metrobus was well involved when crews arrived, and they requested a foam unit task force, an additional truck and a rescue squad…
·Tilburg, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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Washington, DC fire: Smoke seen in downtown amid reports of Metro bus fire inside Ninth Street Tunnel; watch videos
Large plumes of smoke rose over downtown Washington, D.C. on Thursday as authorities responded to reports of a Metro bus fire inside the Ninth Street Tunnel.
·New Delhi, India
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Center
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources are Center
63% Center
L 25%
C 63%
12%
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