Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Orpington fire: ‘Huge explosions’ heard as seven buses destroyed in blaze at London depot

Sixty firefighters tackle blaze at garage on outskirts of capital as several vehicles engulfed in flames

Tom Barnes
Thursday 22 November 2018 09:55 GMT
Comments
Eleven buses caught fire at a depot in Orpington after residents reported hearing several large explosions
Eleven buses caught fire at a depot in Orpington after residents reported hearing several large explosions (LFB)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Seven buses have been destroyed following a series of “huge explosions” after a fire broke out at a London bus depot.

More than 60 firefighters were called to the blaze at a garage in Orpington, on the southeast edge of the capital, just after 3.30am on Thursday morning.

At the height of the blaze, eleven buses were alright and London Fire Brigade (LFB) received more than 40 calls from members of the public as smoke was seen rising into the sky.

London Fire Brigade received more than 40 emergency calls over the incident
London Fire Brigade received more than 40 emergency calls over the incident (LFB)

Locals reported hearing several loud bangs in the early hours of the morning as vehicles were engulfed by the flames.

“Woken up by 10 huge explosions and what looks like a big fire near Sevenoaks Road in Orpington,” one wrote on Twitter.

LFB said its crews had worked on arrival to stop the fire spreading to more buses and around 30 vehicles had been moved out of harm’s way.

Seven buses were completely destroyed in the blaze and a further four were badly damaged, the brigade said.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The fire was brought under control by around 6.30am. Crews will remain on the scene to damp down affected vehicles.

The cause of the incident is currently unknown.

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson, said: “We are assisting the emergency services and the bus operator Go-Ahead with an investigation into a fire at Orpington Bus Garage. Bus services in the area are impacted on routes 358, 684 and R8.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in