A FIRE which ripped through a coach carrying passengers on the A55 was caused by an electrical fault. The huge blaze caused traffic chaos on the major route yesterday morning. Emergency services were called as fire tore through the 40-seater coach near the Caerwys junction at about 10.15am. Passengers were seen fleeing the burning wreckage. Remarkably, no one was injured, but the incident brought a stretch of the eastbound-side of the A55 to a complete standstill for three hours. A fire service investigation revealed an electrical fault in the dashboard had been the cause of the fire, which left the Cavendish Coaches vehicle completely gutted. The stretch of road was closed off as firefighters battled the blaze at the top of Rhuallt Hill. Dozens of passengers who had escaped the coach stood on the grass verge yards from the burnt out vehicle, before being moved to a nearby restaurant where they were provided with alternative transport. A spokesman for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “We used 60 litres of foam and three environmental spill kits while on the scene. “The fire was caused by an electrical fault in the dashboard.” A spokesman for North Wales Police said the road was reopened at 1.11pm, but traffic remained heavy and delayed throughout the afternoon with lengthy tailbacks. A Cavendish Coaches spokesman expressed relief that all the passengers and driver had escaped unharmed. The spokesman confirmed that all luggage had been retrieved.
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