Passengers escape injury after bus catches fire on M7

Emergency services remain at the scene of a bus fire on the M7 in Co Laois.

The motorway was brought to a standstill this morning after the coach carrying around 20 students caught fire shortly after 8am.

It happened on the Dublin-bound carriageway between the Roscrea and Borris-in-Ossory junctions.

The teenagers were brought to safety to the hard shoulder of the motorway and have since been escorted from the scene.

Gardaí say no passengers were injured in the incident.

Both sides of the M7 were closed to traffic as firefighters brought the blaze under control and diversions were put in place.

The motorway has since opened to traffic.

One lane of the carriageway, where the bus caught fire, remains closed.