This archive report was first published on 6 September 2019.
On September 5, 2019, a heroic driver's swift action prevented a potential disaster at Rwika shopping centre in Mbeere South, Embu County. James Mugo Kangara, a driver, jumped into a burning fuel tanker and drove it out of a petrol station before it burst into flames.
The tanker was consumed by the fiery flames about 200m away, with no reported injuries in the 7am incident. Kangara was offloading petrol at the pump station when he noticed fire on the lower part of the tanker. He initially tried to disconnect the pipes but was unsuccessful.
Undeterred, Kangara decided to drive the truck away to prevent a disaster. He managed to drive the burning tanker away from the shops and residential houses, saving countless lives. Kangara jumped out just in time before the tanker burst into flames and was reduced to a shell.
According to eyewitness Lucy Njiru, she heard an explosion and then saw smoke. She immediately called the police and the fire brigade, who arrived later and helped put out the blaze before it spread to a nearby bush.
Mbeere South Police boss Ahmed Mohammed confirmed that investigations were underway to determine the cause of the fire.
