Manmeet Alisher R.I.P.

[ozbob]

Report of crash involving bus at Moorooka
Unconfirmed but may be serious

[verbatim9]

It hasn't been a good week for public transport in the Brisbane region this week.

[techblitz]

if its a Sherwood depot bus it will most likely be a 125 or 124...the 117/110/115 are usually willawong or garden city buses....this is very tragic....

[ozbob]

#UPDATE: Moorooka bus fire: one dead and 11 injuredhttps://t.co/n2dAdzwCYb pic.twitter.com/ZLk4re7tPD

— Brisbane Times (@brisbanetimes) October 28, 2016

R.I.P.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Saw one photo of the bus on fire with a couple people looking inside at the front door. Their lungs won't be good for a few days from the toxic smoke.

[Derwan]

This is very sad.  Thoughts are with the driver's family and all those involved in this incident.

I find it odd though that there was an explosion at the front of the bus.  I didn't think there was anything explosive there?

[techblitz]

oh dear this is not good...poured flammable liquid involved....

[Derwan]

oh dear this is not good...poured flammable liquid involved....

A deliberate act.  That's what I was afraid of. 

[ozbob]

" Police say a passenger got on the bus and poured a flammable liquid on the driver. "he stood little chance " "

    — Jorge Branco (@JorgeBrancoBNE) October 28, 2016

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/moorooka-bus-fire-one-dead-and-11-injured-20161028-gsctib.html

" A bystander has been labelled a hero after kicking out the bus back door to allow passengers to escape.

"I just said to him 'you just saved people's lives'," onlooker Clair Savage said.

She said the man, who quickly left the scene, had run out of a nearby shop within 20 seconds of the fire.

Ms Savage described seeing a "gigantic set of flames" at the front of the vehicle. .. "

[HappyTrainGuy]

Jesus christ!

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

28th October 2016

Re bus incident Moorooka

We would like to express our sincere condolences to the Bus Driver's family, work colleagues, friends and all involved in this incident.

R.I.P.

Our bus drivers work in a difficult environment.  This incident shows just how unpredictable and tragic it can be sadly.

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[James]

" Police say a passenger got on the bus and poured a flammable liquid on the driver. "he stood little chance " "

    — Jorge Branco (@JorgeBrancoBNE) October 28, 2016

This is not OK. This is the kind of stuff which happens in ISIS-controlled territory, not suburban Brisbane. I hope the perpetrator is found sooner rather than later in case he tries this kind of stuff again.

[verbatim9]

Secure driver cabs will be a priority now.

[techblitz]

well i am officially sh%t scared now....as each and every one of my local routes pull into those shops to either pick up or drop off passengers.

[verbatim9]

well i am officially sh%t scared now....as each and every one of my local routes pull into those shops to either pick up or drop off passengers.

That's why secure driver cabs are important. Too many attacks on bus drivers in SEQ now a fatal one. It's a shame that violence is creeping more and more into our society. Brisbane was always found as a friendly society this has really pushed the pendulum.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane bus driver set alight and killed at Moorooka

A 29-year-old Brisbane City Council bus driver has been killed after a passenger doused him in a flammable liquid and set him alight.

Queensland Police Superintendent Jim Keogh said the bus, carrying six passengers, pulled into Moorvale Shopping Centre on Beaudesert Road to pick up three passengers.

"At that time that one of the passengers entered onto the bus and poured a flammable liquid onto the driver and subsequently the driver was set alight and is now deceased," he said.

"The fire was substantial, he would have stood little chance.

"Our inquiries indicate it was a rather rapid, a lot of the finer details won't be known for some time."

Supertintendent Keogh said a 48-year-old man, who was located at the scene, was in custody.

"Police are speaking to passengers, as you can imagine they are traumatised, we are providing assistance in that regard," he said.

"They are visibly shaken, traumatised."

Superintendent Keogh said "words escaped him" in terms of how shocking the incident was.

"It is a horrific incident here in the quiet suburb of Moorooka," he said.

"A bus driver going about doing his business, supporting the community and has taken his life from him in a senseless and needless act."

A bystander was labelled a hero after he kicked out the back door of the bus to allow passengers to escape.

"I just said to him 'you just saved people's lives'," onlooker Clair Savage said.

She said the man, who quickly left the scene, had run out of a nearby shop within 20 seconds of the fire.

Ms Savage described seeing a "gigantic set of flames" at the front of the vehicle.

Another onlooker, Julie Meadley, said she arrived just after the fire broke out and saw a mother and child banging on the door.

"It filled with smoke and they couldn't get out, " she said.

"People, onlookers, pried open the doors to get them out."

Emergency services were called to Beaudesert Road about 9am Friday morning.

The Queensland Ambulance Service said 11 were treated at the scene, some with minor injuries and some who were taken to hospital.

Queensland fire and emergency services had the fire under control at 9.19am and completely extinguished it one minute later.

The firefighters then conducted a search of the vehicle and passengers were being treated by the QAS.

[Otto]

well i am officially sh%t scared now....as each and every one of my local routes pull into those shops to either pick up or drop off passengers.

That's why secure driver cabs are important. Too many attacks on bus drivers in SEQ now a fatal one. It's a shame that violence is creeping more and more into our society. Brisbane was always found as a friendly society this has really pushed the pendulum.

I'm just too shocked to comment.

[ozbob]

Our thoughts are with you Otto, and all our bus drivers.  We are here for you.

Later, if you think we can lend support for improvement in cab security or other modifications please let me know.

[ozbob]

Re bus incident Moorooka

> https://t.co/fxHy8qOEqx#qldpol @Team_Quirk @Schrinner @brisbanecityqld

sincere condolences .. R.I.P.

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) October 28, 2016

[ozbob]

Latest reports suggest this was attack was due to a ' person possibly with a mental illness ' and is not terrorist related.

[verbatim9]

Our thoughts are with you Otto, and all our bus drivers.  We are here for you.

Later, if you think we can lend support for improvement in cab security or other modifications please let me know.

[techblitz]

shall be offering my condolences to all drivers that commandeer my buses today.....

[urbanplanr]

So tragic. My thoughts to those affected by this tragic event especially the driver's family.

I agree about the need for secure bus cabins. With integrated ticketing and most people using GoCard's, drivers don't need to be openly accessible by passengers. A transparent barrier of some sorts with some fitted mechanism to allow the odd cash transaction should be investigated.

[ozbob]

#Brisbane Lord Mayor asks public to show support to city's bus drivers in wake of today's incident. #TenNews pic.twitter.com/YseHykYNec

— Veronica Eggleton (@veggleton) October 28, 2016

[ozbob]

We lost a member of the Council family - the Brisbane family - today with the senseless & inexplicable murder of one of our bus drivers.

— Adrian Schrinner (@Schrinner) October 28, 2016

[ozbob]

LM: we will be flying flags on @brisbanecityqld Council facilities at half-mast tomorrow, as a mark of respect for our bus driver

— Team Quirk (@Team_Quirk) October 28, 2016

[BrizCommuter]

Absolutely shocking news. Something that is out of place in a safe city like Brisbane.

[ozbob]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-bus-driver-set-alight-and-killed-at-moorooka-20161027-gscrin.html

... A visibly shaken Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk, said it was a sad day for Brisbane City Council and the city.

Cr Quirk said he would contact the driver's next of kin as soon as they were located.

"This is a young person who's been with Brisbane Transport now for just several months as a casual bus driver and it's just a very, very sad set of circumstances," Cr Quirk said.

He said the council's bus drivers were out servicing the people of Brisbane "each and every day" and they would all be deeply affected.

"To see the loss of one of our bus operators in the way that this has happened today is extremely sad," he said.

"I would just ask at this time for those people who do catch public transport in our city to please pay a special thank you to our drivers for the job that they do."

He said Brisbane City Council buses were fitted out with many safety features, including fire retardant and CCTV.

"That footage has been provided to the Queensland Police Service to assist them in their investigations at this time," he said.

"The advice that I am getting from Queensland Police is that this is a random act."

He said he had been in touch with Brisbane Transport divisional managers to make sure the council's bus drivers were receiving the support they needed.

"They are obviously going to be out at the depot, so it's a case now of making sure that all of our drivers are given the appropriate counselling," he said.

The Lord Mayor said services would not be disrupted as a result of the shocking attack.

[Fares_Fair]

Words fail me, too horrific to even contemplate..

[ozbob]

Following the death of a Bus Driver & injury to passengers a vigil has been organised for tomorrow night, Saturday 5.30pm Luxworth Places. pic.twitter.com/NUgaxFwlaY

— Steve Griffiths (@SteveGriffiths_) October 28, 2016

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Bus driver killed in Moorooka was 'social, multi-talented man'

The bus driver who was killed in a shocking attack in Moorooka on Friday was an integral part of Punjabi community and would be greatly missed, a close friend said. ...

[ozbob]

if its a Sherwood depot bus it will most likely be a 125 or 124...the 117/110/115 are usually willawong or garden city buses....this is very tragic....

Was a 125 .. (S1980)


Manmeet Alisher died while working as a bus driver on Friday.
Mr Alisher was an enthusiastic singer and hobby film-maker.

R. I. P.

[techblitz]

R.I.P  Manmeet.....this really cuts to the core of any bus passenger or driver.
my thoughts also to everyone else involved in this tragic incident....

[Otto]

OK, forgive me here.. Just got to put this out there.
This has been going through my head all day. The images and videos I've seen just keep replaying over and over in my mind.

First off, My sincere condolences to Manmeet's family, friends and his community.
Secondly, this is the model and body of bus I always drive so I know where everything is.
 
The way Manmeet died has always been my worst fear . When my wife came home from work today, she knew how I would be feeling about the way Manmeet's life was taken.


I kept wondering why none of the pax had pressed the emergency release button at the rear door.
Then the answer came to me.
Seeing how thick the black smoke was coming out the front in the videos, I realised that the A/C intake is just behind the driver. The smoke would have been sucked straight in and immediately blown out the vents along the length of the bus.
I would imagine that in seconds, the ceiling would have just been impossible to see through the smoke as smoke will go to the highest point.
The location of the red emergency rear door release is located above the rear door to the left side. When I need to leave a bus during my shift, I would normally exit at the rear by using the emergency button so that I can close the door behind me.
In order to reach the button, I need to stand up on my toes, or step onto the seat behind the rear door.

I believe now that the pax were not able to get out the rear doors from inside simply because the button being high up was effectively not in view as it may very well have been obstructed by the smoke. This may be something that needs to be looked at in bus design.

Sorry for my random post.. Just had to get this off my chest.

ozbob, feel free to delete if you think this is inappropriate.

[Otto]

A 48-year-old Moorooka man has been charged with one count each of murder and arson and eleven counts of attempted murder.

He is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court tomorrow.

[ozbob]

Thanks for sharing your comments Otto.  I think your insight is very valuable.

It is a profound shock for all of Brisbane Transport and Brisbane.   All of us share your grief and concern.

Bus drivers are a lynchpin of our communities, greatly appreciated.  A bus safety review is under way at present, this tragic death will now also inform that.

The review report is due March 2017.

[ozbob]

A beautiful impromptu gathering for Manmeet Alisher, the bus driver who died so tragically in #Moorooka today and the other victims #news pic.twitter.com/cEpJUb5Lcg

— Steve Griffiths (@SteveGriffiths_) October 28, 2016

[techblitz]

planning on heading down this afternoon.....I cant forget a face and I do now remember getting a ride recently by manmeet from park rd to wooloongabba on the 29. A courteous hello from him as I boarded and away we went. A man with dreams like his didn't deserve to go the way he did.
I will post some links to his videos if anyone wants to check them out:

youtube channel >> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoNUPuhe7NHzG4Uh0h5RAmw

also do search for manmeet alisher on youtube for condolence videos etc...

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Minister asked to protect drivers as vigil held for Manmeet

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Council to erect memorial for slain bus driver Manmeet Sharma