THIS is the scene of devastation after a "catastrophic" fire ripped through a bus depot in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
Fire crews from Herefordshire were among those called to the inferno in Birmingham Road, in the Lydiate Ash area, on Friday night.
It is believed to have been started by an electrical fault on one of the vehicles.
Green Watch just returned from large fire at Lydiate Ash with @HWfire pic.twitter.com/bc7b4MhRpK
— Northfield Fire Station (@WMFSNorthfield) March 12, 2022
It broke out at around 8pm with the firm's 21 buses reduced to burnt-out shells as the company, which runs bus routes and school transport, counts the cost today.
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Thankfully around 70 firefighters from Herefordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands stopped the fire from reaching the building, which has been left with only broken windows.
Owners Wendy and Kevin Nind said school transport will be running as normal on Monday as the firm's 10 coaches survived the blaze.
It thanked everyone for their support after the devastating blaze.
Green watch Kings Norton have been assisting our colleagues in Hereford & Worcestershire at a large fire in Catshill Bromsgrove. pic.twitter.com/rnmDbhfJ0L
— Kings Norton Fire Station (@WMFSKingsNorton) March 12, 2022
The company released a statement saying: "Yesterday evening Kev’s Cars and Coaches, a local coach and bus company founded in 1975, suffered a catastrophic fire in the depot situated in Lydiate Ash Bromsgrove. 21 vehicles, including all but one of the buses, were lost.
"Thanks to the generosity of other local operators the company hopes to have full bus services restored mid next week.
"Coach services used mainly to transport schoolchildren in the Redditch and Bromsgrove areas on behalf of Worcester CC will operate as normal from Monday, March 14."
It added: "Wendy and Kevin Nind, owners and directors of the company, and all Kev’s staff would like to thank everyone for their support and kindness during this difficult time."
Tenbury fire station, on the border of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, was one of the region's crews called to the blaze.
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Firefighters said: "Just after 9.20pm our pagers sounded mobilising us to standby at Bromsgrove fire station due to a large fire involving 15 coaches and a number of lorries.
"Shortly after our arrival at Bromsgrove we were mobilised to an automatic fire alarm in the area. At midnight the crew was mobilised as a relief crew to the ongoing incident where crews worked through the night.
"The crew got back to Tenbury at 6.30pm."
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