Passengers stand outside this Toyota Coaster minibus after its front axle broke while along the Buff Bay main road on Thursday.

Gareth Davis Sr, STAR Writer

Hart Hill, Portland:

Several passengers aboard a minibus got a scare on Thursday after the right front axle of the vehicle broke off, dislodging the tyre.

The vehicle, which plies the Port Antonio to Kingston route, was travelling along the road near Hart Hill in Buff Bay, Portland, when the incident happened.

Bus buckled

When the Star arrived on the scene, several passengers were still in shock and were unable to speak to our news team. However, one passenger said she screamed when she first felt the bus buckled, which was followed by an impact.

"Persons were shouting for joy," she said. "The bus had just picked up a passenger less than six hundred metres away, and upon negotiation a corner, we heard some strange mechanical sounds. The driver was not speeding, and that probably prevented a bad situation from being worst," said Michelle Speid, a passenger on the bus

A crowd later gathered to assess the accident, and shortly after another bus, which arrived with only its driver, quickly collected the frightened passengers and sped off in the direction of Annotto Bay, with the driver sporting a smile.