iN PHOTOS: Greyhound passengers recall when smoke engulfed the bus on Highway 97C

A Greyhound bus pulled over to the shoulder with dozens of passengers standing outside the vehicle, surrounded by two police cars and an ambulance.

It looked like an alarming scene, and just a few moments prior for the passengers it certainly was.

Just before 7 p.m. this evening, Sunday, Sept. 23, smoke burst out of the back of the Greyhound bus while it was heading up Highway 97C carrying 45 passengers.

Husband and wife, Henry David and Cindy Gongora were taking the Greyhound from Penticton to Vancouver. David says they were sitting near the back of the bus and could smell the smoke.

"One of the girls in the back seat they start screaming, 'Something is burning! Something is burning!'" David recalls. "We didn't know if it was fire back there, but they said it wasn't, it was only oil."

Some witnesses say they saw flames, but police are doubtful.

Greyhound communications specialist Crystal Booker says the incident was caused by a blown turbo, which caused oil to go through the exhaust and producing smoke. She says incidents like these can also cause sparks.

The bus was towed to Kelowna for diagnosis and repair, Booker says. A new bus was sent out of Kelowna to pick up the passengers and transport them to Vancouver.

The delay lasted for about an hour and 20 minutes. No injuries were reported.

— This story was updated at 9:45 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018 to include new information from Greyhound.

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