A bus driver was lucky to escape an ‘explosive’ fire which tore through a bus this morning.

The double-decker caught fire in Leyton Green Road, Leyton, at around 5.30am.

There were no passengers on board at the time.

Resident Karl Anacoura said he was woken up in the early hours by ‘several loud explosions’.

Bus routes have been diverted all day as the road will need to be resurfaced.

The explosion left a bus-shaped crater in the road.

There are no reports of any injuries.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.