A bus driver has died after a man poured flammable liquid on him and set him alight at a bus stop at Moorooka in Brisbane's south.
Six people were on the council bus at the time of the attack on the 29-year-old driver, Queensland police Superintendent Jim Keogh said, with a number treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation.
Onlookers broke through the back doors of the bus to get the passengers out.
Superintendent Keogh said a 48-year-old man had been taken into police custody after the attack.
Photo: A bus caught alight in Brisbane's south, killing the driver. (ABC News: Casey Briggs)
He said it was a random attack and has ruled out terrorism as a motive.
"I've been confronted with many situations, but here, this is a rare one where there appears to be no apparent motive," Superintendent Keogh said.
"Words escape me, it's a horrific incident here in the quiet suburb of Moorooka.
"A bus driver, going about doing his business, supporting the community, has had his life taken from him in what is a senseless and needless act.
"The fire was substantial, he would have stood little chance."
Photo: The bus has been cordoned off after the driver died this morning. (ABC News: Casey Briggs)
Superintendent Keogh said the passengers were visibly shaken and considered themselves lucky.
"It's lucky the whole bus didn't become engulfed in flames.
"They are traumatised.
"It was rather rapid."
Passengers 'lucky to survive'
Taxi driver Aguek Nyok was walking past the bus when the fire started and said he kicked in the bus's back door to free trapped passengers.
"Unfortunately I couldn't go inside because there were fumes," he said.
"It was smoky, you can't even think of going there, and the fire was getting higher and higher."
Superintendent Keogh praised the response.
"He certainly jeopardised his own life for the safety of those on the bus," he said.
One witness said she helped passengers, including some young children, get off the bus.
"They were lucky to survive," she said.
"[They were] just small children, [their] mum was screaming.
"I was scared."
Photo: A witness said there were children on the bus at the time of the attack. (ABC News: James Maasdorp)
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If the attacker turns out to be mentally ill as is likely this becomes a political matter as the policy of all governments today is putting the mentally ill out to live in the community. IMO some of them are too much of a risk to others to have them walking freely around but governments want to save money.
Dave R.
