Bjorn Burke, Staff Reporter

A vehicle on fire along the Mandela Highway in St Catherine slowed traffic to a near standstill yesterday, the Ferry police reported.

The backup was as a result of a Nissan minibus that caught fire. The minibus was the only vehicle involved in the incident.

According to reports, the occurrence took place on a section of the highway in the vicinity of the roadway leading into Portmore, St Catherine, shortly after 4 p.m., the police said.

Trench Town Fire Station personnel, who arrived on the scene, were kept busy as they worked feverishly to extinguish the blaze.

When THE STAR arrived on the scene, the vehicle was observed being removed via wrecker.

The vehicle appeared to be a total loss, but no injuries were reported in the incident. The cause of the fire is believed to be an electrical issue.

Driver of the now-destroyed vehicle, 52-year-old Vernon Senior gave his account of the event to our news team.

"Mi did a drive a gwaan and mi just see fire a come from underneath the seat. It look like a a electrical problem cause it," he said.

Traffic flow returned to normal after the scene was cleared.