Bus catches fire on BR-010, in the southeast of Pará A travel bus carrying around 35 passengers caught fire and was completely destroyed on the BR-010 highway, in the stretch between the municipalities of Paragominas and Ipixuna do Pará, in the southeast of the state. The incident occurred while climbing a hill on Monday afternoon (20). Despite the scare and the total loss of the vehicle, no one was injured. The bus had left Belém at around 8am headed for Goiânia (GO). According to reports from the vehicle's driver, Francisco Viana, the problem began when he noticed that one of the rear tires had burst during the journey. Soon after, a fire broke out and the flames quickly spread throughout the structure. ? Follow the g1 Pará channel on WhatsApp Bus catches fire in Pará. Reproduction / TV Liberal Upon noticing the start of the fire, the driver and some volunteers acted quickly and used the bus's own fire extinguishers to try to control the situation, but the fire spread very quickly and the effort was not enough. Faced with danger, the passengers despaired, but managed to react in time to remove all their luggage from the vehicle before it was completely consumed by fire. Butcher Tainá Pereira, who was on her way to the state of Mato Grosso, reported moments of panic and distress during the emergency evacuation. Another passenger, property security guard Denis Fiel, also described the suffocation and despair he experienced due to the smoke and the rapid spread of the flames. Rescue of passengers Several belongings, such as suitcases and bags, were temporarily scattered on the banks of BR-010 while passengers waited for help. The company responsible for the trip sent support vehicles to the accident site to provide assistance. All travelers and their respective luggage were collected and transported safely to the Paragominas Bus Terminal. When the Fire Department teams arrived at the stretch of highway, the bus was already engulfed in high flames. The military carried out firefighting work and the aftermath of what was left of the vehicle. 5 km traffic jam According to information from the Federal Highway Police (PRF), traffic on the highway was affected by the accident, generating queues of traffic jams of almost five kilometers in both directions of the road. It took approximately two hours of work on the part of the agents for the BR-010 highway to be completely freed up for the flow of vehicles. VIDEOS: see all the news from Pará Read more news from the state on g1 Pará