A Henry County school bus caught fire early Monday morning as it was transporting students to their first day of a new school year. No injuries were reported.
Officials estimated that about 21 children were on the bus when it caught fire near 4786 Mitchell's Ridge Drive near Ellenwood.
The students were evacuated from the bus, and the fire was extinguished, according to fire officials.
Roselyn Antwi, who lives on Mitchell's Ridge Drive near where the bus caught fire, said she was awakened by the sound of ‘girls talking and boys laughing.'
"I looked out my window and noticed there was a bus on fire and kids were standing outside the bus watching it burn," Antwi said. She said she asked the children to move farther away from the burning bus and allowed some of the girls to come inside her home to make phone calls to parents.
"The whole bus was engulfed, Antwi said. "It was covered in smoke."
An investigator was at the scene trying to determine the cause of the fire, according to Capt. Sabrina Puckett, a Henry County fire department spokeswoman.
The students were en route to Stockbridge High School and Austin Road Middle School, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Please check back for details.
AJC photographer John Spink contributed to this article.
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