The bus driver killed in Brisbane today died after a passenger threw an "incendiary device" at him, Queensland's police commissioner says.
Manmeet Sharma, 29, was killed when a 48-year-old man allegedly stepped onto the bus at the Beaudesert Road stop in Moorooka and threw the device at him, setting him alight.
Mr Sharma, a beloved Indian singer well-known in the local Punjabi community, died at the scene.
Commissioner Ian Stewart said there was no indication the attack was racially motivated and said there were no apparent links to terrorism.
"I want to assure you that there is no evidence at this time of any linkage to terrorist-type activities and certainly that has not become evident through the ongoing investigations that have occurred," he told reporters today.
"We do not believe at this stage that there is any evidence linking this to a racial complaint or concern by either of the people involved."
Commissioner Stewart appealed to anyone who might have footage of the attack to come forward.
He said today's attack was another blow to a state already reeling from the fatal Dreamworld disaster on Tuesday.
"We've rarely had a week where so much tragedy has occurred," he said.
The 48-year-old accusing of killing Mr Sharma is assisting police with their inquiries and suffered minor injuries.
An industry colleague, who did not wish to be named, said Mr Sharma was a prominent figure in the Punjabi community in Australia and known as a soft-spoken, courteous and genuine man.
Taxi driver Aguek Nyok told 9NEWS he broke down the bus's back door after seeing passengers screaming for help in the smoke-filled vehicle.
"I could see the people that were screaming at the back door and trying to get out, they were saying 'open the door for us, open the door for us', so I thought that the bus driver would open the door for them because I didn't know what was going on," he said.
"I stood there for a couple of seconds hoping the driver would open the door for them, but no, so that's the time I decided to do something about it, so I decided just to break the back door for them to get out."
Six passengers also suffered smoke inhalation, and two people waiting at the bus stop were left “visibly shaken”, veteran police Superintendent Jim Keogh said earlier.
"The fire was substantial, [the bus driver] would have stood little chance," he said.
"Our inquiries indicate that it was rather rapid, what actually happened, the flammable liquid poured, the matter's still subject to investigation…"
"We are speaking to passengers, as you can imagine they are traumatised – both the passengers that were on the bus and the passengers that were at the footpath waiting to get on the bus," he said.
Manmeet Sharma, 29, was killed when a 48-year-old man allegedly stepped onto the bus at the Beaudesert Road stop in Moorooka and threw the device at him, setting him alight.
Mr Sharma, a beloved Indian singer well-known in the local Punjabi community, died at the scene.
Commissioner Ian Stewart said there was no indication the attack was racially motivated and said there were no apparent links to terrorism.
"I want to assure you that there is no evidence at this time of any linkage to terrorist-type activities and certainly that has not become evident through the ongoing investigations that have occurred," he told reporters today.
"We do not believe at this stage that there is any evidence linking this to a racial complaint or concern by either of the people involved."
Commissioner Stewart appealed to anyone who might have footage of the attack to come forward.
He said today's attack was another blow to a state already reeling from the fatal Dreamworld disaster on Tuesday.
"We've rarely had a week where so much tragedy has occurred," he said.
The 48-year-old accusing of killing Mr Sharma is assisting police with their inquiries and suffered minor injuries.
An industry colleague, who did not wish to be named, said Mr Sharma was a prominent figure in the Punjabi community in Australia and known as a soft-spoken, courteous and genuine man.
Taxi driver Aguek Nyok told 9NEWS he broke down the bus's back door after seeing passengers screaming for help in the smoke-filled vehicle.
"I could see the people that were screaming at the back door and trying to get out, they were saying 'open the door for us, open the door for us', so I thought that the bus driver would open the door for them because I didn't know what was going on," he said.
"I stood there for a couple of seconds hoping the driver would open the door for them, but no, so that's the time I decided to do something about it, so I decided just to break the back door for them to get out."
Six passengers also suffered smoke inhalation, and two people waiting at the bus stop were left “visibly shaken”, veteran police Superintendent Jim Keogh said earlier.
"The fire was substantial, [the bus driver] would have stood little chance," he said.
"Our inquiries indicate that it was rather rapid, what actually happened, the flammable liquid poured, the matter's still subject to investigation…"
"We are speaking to passengers, as you can imagine they are traumatised – both the passengers that were on the bus and the passengers that were at the footpath waiting to get on the bus," he said.