This is the dramatic moment dozens of tourists ran for their lives after a bus they were travelling on burst into flames.<br /><br />The coach packed with suitcases was travelling from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand yesterday (April 9) afternoon.<br /><br />Mid-way through the journey driver Rath Chantamon, 55, noticed smoke coming from the right rear wheel before he stopped the car and had a look.<br /><br />He was trying to put out the fire from the bus engine when it began rapidly spreading. The panicked driver immediately told all the passengers to get off. <br /><br />Thirty-nine passengers ran screaming from the burning bus but the flames continued burning causing thick black smoke and traffic jams.<br /><br />Firefighters from Doi Saket district came to the scene and spent more than 40 minutes to stop the fire.<br /><br />Chantamon said that he had no idea what started the big fire.<br /><br />He said: “I didn’t know why but I think the fire came from the engine and spread into the luggage compartment before it burned the whole bus.’’<br /><br />Passengers and the driver were being interviewed as part of their investigations.
