The crew assisted Israeli first response teams in putting out the blaze, which witnesses said began and the rear of the bus and quickly spread throughout the vehicle. The four passengers and driver were all evacuated safely.

The bus was en route to the West Bank settlement of Noqedim, where Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman lives, and caught fire near Mount Herdion east of Bethlehem.

Israeli and Palestinian ambulances rushed to the scene of the fire. General Director of the Civil Defense in Bethlehem Ibrahim Ayesh said said his crews were dispatched when a citizen reported the fire on the emergency hotline. He said crews continued with their work when they arrived at the scene and realized the bus was a settler vehicle, because the incident was a humanitarian action.

All Rights Reserved © Ma'an News Agency 2005 - 2010