A bus that was taking 49 young people from Flanders back to Belgium suffered a tyre blowout and then caught fire on Monday night in France.
No one was injured, however, part of the young people's luggage went up in flames, youth sports organisation Sporta, which organises sports camps in Belgium and abroad, said according to reports from VRT News.
Sporta said the accident happened around 3:00 AM near Clermont-Ferrand, some 800 kilometres from the final destination.
Upon noticing the flat tyre, the bus driver was able to park the bus on the breakdown lane, and the camp leaders soon evacuated the bus and notified the emergency services.
"While waiting for the arrival of another bus, the group was accommodated in the local sports hall, where they received the desired assistance," said Bert Schoenmaekers, Sporta manager.
"Fortunately, everyone got off with a fright. There was little question of panic, partly thanks to the good care we received from the local authorities," he added.
The young people were on their way back from L'Estartit in Spain, where they had been on holiday with the organisation since 4 July.
