More than 30 walk away from Queensland bus fire

More than 30 passengers escaped a burning bus in north Queensland on Christmas Day, with southbound lanes of Bruce Highway blocked and thick, black smoke billowing into the air.

The Queensland Ambulance Service reported 36 patients were assessed at the site of the fire on the Bruce Highway, near the intersection with Alligator Creek Road, about 15 kilometres south of Townsville.

A passenger bus caught fire at Alligator Creek, near Townsville, on Christmas afternoon.Credit: Facebook

They arrived at the scene at 1.49pm. The vehicle was understood to be a Greyhound Australia bus.

While a definitive cause of the fire had not been determined, a Queensland Police spokeswoman said it appeared to be the result of a mechanical malfunction.

All passengers were accounted for, she said, and there were no injuries reported.

She said police remained on the scene to assist with traffic control.

The QAS reported all 36 on board were assessed and required no further treatment.