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Terrified passengers fled a packed double-decker bus moments before it exploded on the high street of an affluent commuter-belt town.

A passing police officer on patrol was today praised for averting a possible tragedy when he flagged down the bus in Wallington, south London, after spotting smoke coming from a rear wheel arch.

The driver pulled up and passengers were led to safety as the rear of the 157 service from Morden to Crystal Palace became engulfed by flame at 2pm yesterday.

Minutes later witnesses described a “massive explosion” which shattered the bus windows and sent debris flying.

A blazing tyre shot across the road landing inches from cars parked on the forecourt of a second-hand car dealership.

Fire crews doused the burning engine with foam as a plume of black smoke rose 100ft into the air above Stafford Road.

Photojournalist Morshed Alam, 32, who lives nearby, said: “Its amazing no one was hurt.

“A crowd had formed, some of them must have been the passengers, and police were telling everyone to stay back.

“The fire was getting bigger and suddenly there was a huge explosion. It sounded like a giant gun shot. People started screaming and stepped back, panicking.

“The flames must have shot 10m across the street. I‘m sure it was the tyre exploding. Bits of the bus flew out at the same time. It’s really lucky no one was hurt.”

Police cordoned off the road and diverted traffic from the area as fire crews brought the blaze under control.

Digital arts student Kirsty Cleland-Orgle was passing as the bus was on fire. She said: “From a distance I could see thick black smoke. As I got closer I could see the flames were quite big. It looked like they reached halfway up the side.

“I don’t know the actual cause of the fire but I assume it was a technical fault. The fire was at the back wheel which later spread to the side of the bus and roughly around 2.05pm the bus exploded.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation which police said is not believed to be suspicious.

London Ambulance also attended the scene but there were no reports of any injuries.

Dutch company Abellio, which operates the service, was today investigating the cause of the blaze.

A spokesman for Abellio said: “The vehicle had been checked, had its MOT and was fully compliant with all safety requirements. It seems to be an isolated incident to do with the wheel but we are still trying to establish the true cause of the incident. The driver acted impeccably by evacuating the passengers to safety and by advising local shop keepers.”

Did you see the bus explosion? Contact our news desk on 02036152500 or news@standard.co.uk