The engine of a bus caught fire Thursday afternoon in Kokuba, Naha City, forcing the bus to stop and passengers to evacuate. No one was hurt in the incident, but the traffic on the street was temporarily stopped causing a jam. Naha Police are investigating the cause of the fire.

According to Naha Police, an off-duty police officer of the Community Police Affairs Division riding on the bus noticed thick smoke billowing out from the rear of the bus, and notified the driver. The driver stopped the bus at a nearby bus stop, and the police officer and driver guided the passengers out of the bus.

A man who happened to be near the bus said that he saw the stopped bus with thick smoke coming out of its rear, and a few minutes later there was a loud of bang with a great plume of smoke.

The fire that apparently had started in the rear engine compartment of the bus was extinguished in about 10 minutes.

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