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Vigil Held for Panama City Bus Victims

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 October 2006, 21:00 CDT

By KATHIA MARTINEZ

PANAMA CITY, Panama - Many of the 18 people killed in a fire aboard a downtown Panama City bus were riding in the back, unable to reach the lone front exit to escape the fast-spreading blaze, officials said Tuesday.

Smoke began pouring from the motor Monday seconds before flames raced through the city bus, which was not equipped with emergency exits. Two of the fatalities were children.

"The victims were piled up in the back of the bus, one on top of the other," said Jaime Jacome, director of Panama City's Technical Judicial Police.

More than 20 people were treated for severe burns, and two remained in critical condition Tuesday.

Investigators using trained dogs found no evidence of explosives on the bus and believed some form of fuel leak was to blame for the blaze.

"We found absolutely no trace of the presence of explosives," Jacome said. "There was a lot of gasoline."

Meanwhile, dozens of city residents held a pre-dawn, candlelight vigil for the 18 victims at the site of the fire as the sun rose Tuesday.

Friends and relatives, many sobbing, arrived at morgues and hospitals to identify those killed. Some were burned beyond recognition and officials said they may need DNA tests to identify them.

The gruesome post-fire aftermath was covered live by television stations, which beamed stomach-turning scenes nationwide. Many were shocked by the coverage, and callers jammed talk radio shows with enraged demands for justice.

Transportation official Ovigildo Herrera said the bus was operating with faulty brakes and no license plates.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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