From BBC London:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3287167.stm

ne of London's new bendy buses has been destroyed after bursting into
flames in central London.

Passengers and the driver escaped without injury when the R436 bus
caught fire just north of Marble Arch at 0612 GMT on Wednesday.

Operator London Central was unable to say how many people were on
board the bus, which can carry 139 passengers.

Edgware Road was closed in both directions as firefighters tackled the
fire.

Colin Farrant, London Central's commercial manager, said: "The cause
of the blaze is currently unknown and we are therefore undertaking a
joint investigation with the vehicle manufacturers."

The bus had been near the end of its route across the city from New
Cross, in south-east London, to Paddington, in west London.

It had been in operation for less than a year and was one of those
introduced to ease traffic flows before the congestion charge was
introduced.



Wonder what happened? Some of Stagecoach's buses on the 453 have been
making odd noises of late, with one of them occaisionally making
incredibly loud air blast noises, accompanied by a slight smell of
fuel (the noise and smell being inside the bus)