A minibus van which dramatically burst into flames on a main road on Sunday was a Prison Services vehicle carrying six people.

The van was being driven along North Shore Road, in Hamilton Parish, when it began to smoke, according to Leonard Davis, of the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service.

Flames quickly engulfed the vehicle and smoke billowed more than 100 feet into the air.

“The individuals all exited the vehicle safely before the fire began to burn out of control,” Lt Davis said. “The Fire Service responded to the incident with two vehicles staffed with six personnel.

“Upon their arrival, the duty crew found a large vehicle fully involved in fire with smaller fires several feet away from where the vehicle was burning.”

The van, which was near Shelly Bay, caught fire around 9am and led to traffic disruptions in the area. Lt Davis said the van was a Prison Services vehicle.

Two firefighters wearing self-contained breathing apparatus extinguished the fire. Isolated fires nearby involving roadside vegetation and material from the van were also extinguished.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.