A TANKER carrying a load of RON95 petrol exploded at a busy intersection in the oil and gas town of Bintulu in Sarawak this afternoon, burning to death the tanker driver and injuring others, the Bintulu fire department said today.

Six vehicles, including a motorcycle, were engulfed in the flames in Jalan Kidurong, in front of the Bintulu Medical Centre.

Bintulu police chief Superintendent Zailanni Amit said the tanker was heading to Tanjung Batu from the Tanjung Kidurong oil and gas terminal when it hit a road divider and flipped on its side.

Zailanni said there was an “immediate explosion” with burning fuel snaking down the road to torch the vehicles beside and behind the tanker.

The tanker driver has been identified as Martin Joshua, 31, by his employer, Song Transport Sdn Bhd, and the authorities are waiting for the wife to make a positive identification.

The charred body was retrieved by firemen from under a four-wheel drive vehicle.

All the occupants of the burning vehicles escaped unhurt except for the driver of a Toyota Fortuner, Victoria Jemat, who was “slightly injured”, and motorcyclist, Mathew Ondek Jain, who suffered burns to his hands.

Eye witnesses told fire investigators at the scene that the tanker was travelling at speed when it took the corner to turn into Jalan Bekri Ting.

The Fire and Rescue Department’s state operations room said 10 firemen were deployed to put out the blaze and contain the spill. – July 10, 2017.