Bus Turns Into Flamethrower When CNG Tanks On Roof Explode

When internal combustion becomes external, it's a terrifying sight.

01:06

Jacob Oliva

By: Jacob Oliva

Apr 25, 2022 at 10:32pm ET

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At this point, we all know that the automotive industry is on its way to electrification – all because of the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels. But apart from switching to EVs, there are ways to avoid fossil fuels and still use internal combustion engines.

One of those ways is to use compressed natural gas (CNG). They are claimed to be eco-friendlier than fossil fuels and produce far fewer harmful emissions. However, just like gasoline, CNGs have leakage and fire risks. And yes, they are catastrophic, as seen in the video embedded above.

According to reports, the harrowing incident happened in Perugia in Italy. The bus in the video was an Irisbus Iveco Cityclass with an internal combustion engine and CNG fuel tanks mounted on the roof. As you can see, the bus turned into a flamethrower spewing fire in three directions. The cause of the leak wasn't disclosed.

Thankfully, there wasn't any passenger aboard the bus. Only the mechanic/driver was aboard, who was able to get out of the vehicle before things went awry. However, the bus would be far from being salvageable as it was burned down to a crisp (see video below).

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CNG-powered commercial vehicles and buses are popular in Europe (particularly in Italy and Greece) because of their environmental benefits compared to fossil fuels. Apart from those, they also have a better range than their electric counterparts plus they don't need to idle for a while to recharge the batteries.

Reports said that this isn't the first time that a CNG-powered bus exploded in Europe. However, they are still few and far between since the last similar incident happened in the Netherlands in 2012.

Source: Umbria On