An SBS Transit bus captain briefly interrupted his journey along Holland Road after spotting a Lamborghini with smoke coming from its rear engine compartment.
The 51-year-old bus captain, Zhang Zhipeng, stopped his Service 123 bus at a safe distance before informing passengers about the situation. He then retrieved a fire extinguisher from the bus and went over to help the Lamborghini driver.
Footage uploaded to TikTok showed Zhang standing behind a black Lamborghini Aventador as smoke continued to emerge from the vehicle. The rear section of the car appeared to have suffered visible fire damage, while the engine compartment was covered in white residue from the extinguisher.
Bus captain uses extinguisher after spotting smoke
According to SBS Transit, Zhang noticed the smoke as he was approaching a bus stop along Holland Road.
Rather than immediately approaching the burning vehicle, he first stopped his bus at a safe distance and made sure his passengers were aware of what was happening. He then took one of the fire extinguishers carried on board the bus and went to assist the driver.
When Zhang reached the Lamborghini, he discovered that the driver had already attempted to tackle the fire with his own extinguisher. However, the extinguisher had been depleted and the fire was still burning.
Video footage showed Zhang carefully positioning the extinguisher before directing dry powder into the rear engine compartment. An onlooker could also be heard reminding those nearby to exercise caution as the fire was being dealt with.
After releasing the extinguisher’s contents into the engine area, Zhang returned to his bus once the immediate danger appeared to have been brought under control.
SBS Transit praises captain’s quick response
SBS Transit said Zhang’s actions demonstrated the value of the basic firefighting training provided to its bus captains.
The company explained that all SBS bus captains receive basic firefighting training as part of their skills training. Zhang was therefore able to draw on what he had learnt when he encountered the vehicle fire.
SBS Transit also praised him for remaining calm while responding to the incident and for taking steps to keep his passengers safe before going over to help the motorist.
The company said Zhang had been “in the right place and at the right time” and commended him for stepping forward to assist another road user when help was needed.
The incident also highlights how fire extinguishers carried on public buses can potentially become useful beyond emergencies involving the buses themselves.
For motorists, a vehicle fire can become dangerous quickly, particularly when the fire involves the engine compartment. Drivers who encounter such situations should prioritise getting themselves and others to a safe location while contacting emergency services for assistance.
In this case, the combination of the driver’s initial attempt to tackle the fire and Zhang’s intervention with the bus’s extinguisher helped bring the situation under control before the flames could spread further.