Tension riding high aboard nation's buses following tragedy that claimed 27 lives

GUANGZHOU: The tragic bus blaze that killed 27 people and injured 74 others in Southwest China has frightened passengers and made them nervous about being caught up in a similar incident.

In Guangzhou, following the bus blaze, there was panic and a stampede in which two female passengers were knocked to the ground after bus No 50 gave off a loud noise and emitted a thick plume of smoke in the city's downtown on Saturday.

One woman ended up in a coma after passengers struggled to get off the bus, Guangzhou-based Nanfang Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.