Passengers were evacuated from an Arriva bus this morning after its brakes apparently overheated, people on the scene said.

No one was hurt and a Civil Protection team intervened promptly, having been in the area after a man fell off a plank and injured himself.

In a statement this afternoon Arriva Malta confirmed that one of its buses encountered a problem of overheating brakes which, it said, led to the emission  of smoke and steam 'due to the wet roads'.

"While thanking the passing Civil Protection Officers for their prompt assistance, the company would like to confirm that no fire took place in this incident and the safety of our passengers was never at risk,” Arriva said.