55 Passengers Evacuated From Burning Bus Following...

Whereas Florida is thought for its scorching summer season, issues bought approach too scorching on a bus taking cruise friends residence from their trip over the weekend. 

A bus taking recently disembarked cruise passengers from their Florida cruise port to Georgia spontaneously caught hearth on the morning of Saturday, July 5, 2025, whereas driving alongside Interstate 95 close to Daytona Seashore.

The reason for the fireplace is unknown presently, but it surely looks as if the whole lot escalated fairly shortly and with out warning.

“We simply got here off a cruise. Fifty-four or 55 individuals having time, after which out of nowhere, there’s chaos, hearth. I imply, the truck burned to a crisp,” Tanetta Hampton, who was on the bus along with her 7-month-old daughter Naomi, told 7 News Miami.

“I didn’t even suppose to seize my child’s child bag along with her components and diapers and issues,” Hampton continued.

Hampton and her daughter had simply disembarked from a Carnival cruise, though it’s not clear which ship they got here from. Nonetheless, this seemingly means different passengers have been Carnival friends as properly.

It’s additionally not recognized which cruise port or ship the current friends have been coming from, however Port Canaveral (Orlando) can be the closest port to Daytona Seashore at round 60 miles away.

Whereas all of the cruisers have been in a position to safely evacuate from the burning automobile, most had to leave their luggage and private belongings behind. 

Footage from witnesses exhibits the motor coach fully engulfed in shiny orange flames and black smoke with baggage nonetheless saved simply out of attain within the underbelly of the bus.

Hampton additionally spoke concerning the panic on the scene: “Some household making an attempt to get their baggage, some household like, ‘Oh, it’s going to blow up, get away,’ so it was a variety of feelings up.”

“Individuals have been like crying and tussling with one another, making an attempt to avoid wasting household from going, , in direction of the fireplace. That was the scariest half, was the panic of all people even outdoors of the bus,” she added.

Fortunately, private belongings may be changed and no accidents or deaths have been reported – which is what actually issues on the finish of the day.

As a little bit of a social media influencer, Hampton was acknowledged by one in every of her followers who picked up her household from the aspect of the highway and drove them the remainder of the best way to Georgia.

The opposite passengers have been picked up by one other bus, which reportedly reached its vacation spot safely.

Is Bus Journey Protected for Cruisers?

Though the reason for this bus hearth has not been launched, it was most certainly a freak prevalence associated to one thing like {an electrical} malfunction or gasoline leak.

Authorities are already investigating the incident to find out the trigger and ensure it doesn’t occur once more.

However as that is the second bus incident in about two weeks, some cruise passengers could also be questioning how secure touring by bus actually is.

Certainly, a college bus carrying 46 cruise passengers collided with an SUV in Ketchikan, Alaska, on June 26, 2025.

That mentioned, hundreds (if not tens of millions) of cruise passengers board buses as a part of shore excursions and to journey to and from their cruise ports yearly with no situation.

Learn Additionally: Florida Cruise Ports: Your Full Overview and Guide

Touring to and from cruise ports through bus is an effective choice for cruisers making an attempt to avoid wasting a couple of dollars.

For instance, a flight from Orlando (the place Port Canaveral is) to Atlanta, Georgia, can value $80 per individual round-trip on the low finish to over $300 on the excessive finish.

There are bus stops both inside or very near Port Canaveral, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, and Port Everglades, so further transportation strategies, similar to taking an Uber, wouldn’t be needed.

In the meantime, a bus from Port Canaveral to Atlanta takes nearly a day and prices round $70 to $75 per individual.

The Florida cruise ports additionally provide shuttle companies to and from their native airports, with costs often ranging between $20 to $40 for the journey.