Bus Explosion, Fire In Jerusalem Injures At Least 16

At least 16 people, including two children, have reportedly been injured in a bus blast Monday in Jerusalem.

Two of the victims are in critical condition, Israeli emergency responders say; so far there have been no fatalities.

Police spokesperson Luba Samri says a professional examination of the scene shows "a bomb exploded" at the rear of of one bus, NPR's Emily Harris reports from Jerusalem. The blast injured some passengers and caused the bus to catch fire. It also injured people in another bus next to the first and hit private cars nearby.

An emergency responder told Haaretz he arrived to help victims and found the buses "going up in flames."

Reporting from the scene, Emily described a billow of black smoke on an ordinarily busy street in an industrial part of the city.

Police initially said they weren't sure of the cause of the fire but later confirmed it was an explosion. They also say they've ruled out the possibility of a suicide bomb attack, Emily says, since they have seen no evidence of a bomber.

There has been a spate of attacks by Palestinians on Israelis in recent months, Emily says. Most have been stabbing attacks, although guns and cars have also been used as weapons.

A few incidents took places on buses, including a grisly stabbing and shooting attack on a Jerusalem bus.

"But an explosion on a bus ... would take this to a new level," Emily says.