An off-duty policeman stopped the coach to tell the driver it was on fire
An investigation is under way after a coach carrying a group from a Sikh temple in Bedfordshire caught fire.
All 66 on board, mostly women and children from the Gurdwara in Luton, got off the coach uninjured seconds before it burst into flames.
The driver pulled onto the hard shoulder of the M3 at Basingstoke, Hampshire, when smoke began billowing from the double-decker coach.
The group were returning from a trip to a Sikh camp on Friday evening.
Luton-based coach company, Premier Travel, said it was carrying out an investigation with the Vehicle Inspectorate.
One of those on board, Sukhdev Kaur Rajoo, said an off-duty police officer from the Met Police who was following the coach helped them get off safely.
The group stayed on the hard shoulder, wrapped in foil blankets, until another coach was sent to collect them. The Confederation of Passenger Transport UK released a statement on behalf of the coach company.
Spokesman Christopher Nice said: "The quick thinking and professionalism shown by our driver enabled all of the 66 passengers onboard to be promptly evacuated from the vehicle and led to a safe location.
"We praise our driver for not only safely and expertly evacuating the passengers from the coach, but also making sure that other road users were not placed at any risk."
Around 25 firefighters from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service attended at 1930 BST and worked for an hour and a half to put out the fire.
The coach had pulled over between junctions 5 and 6.
The fire caused the temporary closure of the northbound carriageway of the M3 at Basingstoke, from about 1945 BST, with traffic diverted to the A30, Hampshire Police said.
with thanks : source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8180293.stm
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