A large fire engulfed an abandoned bus parked inside a compound in Barangay Taway in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay caught fire.

The incident occurred just about 70 meters from the Bureau of Fire Protection Ipil Station, allowing firefighters to respond quickly and put the fire out within minutes.

BFP said a significant portion of the bus was burned.

No one was injured as the vehicle had been unused for more than a year.

Investigators said the main door lock had been removed, raising the possibility that someone entered the vehicle and set it on fire deliberately.

“Ang presumption namin ay merong  mga bystander na pumunta, nagtambay diyan. Wala naman siyang battery, wala namang electrical connection, tapos during investigation wala ring mga incendiary materials na nakuha,” BFP Ipil Municipal Fire Marshal, Fire Senior Inspector Herman Ting, said.

The damage was estimated at more than P20,000, but the amount could increase once the school that owned the bus submits an affidavit.