Driver dead in Bintulu oil tanker blast
The driver was burnt to death after a diesel-laden road oil tanker caught fire at the Medan Jaya traffic light, Kidurong road at around noon yesterday.
Bintulu police chief Superintendent Zailanni Amit, in a statement, said the oil tanker was coming from the direction of Kidurong and was about to turn to the right to Tanjung Batu before it veered off the road when the driver lost control and hit a road divider.
He said the tanker then overturned and exploded, engulfing everything around it including five vehicles and a motorcycle on the opposite direction at the traffic light junction.
Zailanni said the charred body of the driver was found under a pickup truck next to the tanker.
The police have identified the tanker driver as Martin Joshua, 30.
In a statement from Kuala Lumpur, Shell Malaysia confirmed that their third party road tanker was involved in the fatal accident.
The company said they were deeply saddened to learn of the incident and their hearts go out to the victims and their families.
It assured that they have mobilised their resources and are working with the authorities to provide immediate assistance to the emergency teams and would give full cooperation to the investigations.
Zailanni said other motorists involved were not injured and only a motorcyclist sustained minor injury.
Meanwhile, Bintulu Fire and Rescue Department station chief Dihata Gobel said Bomba received a distress call at 11.53am and 10 personnel in two fire engines were rushed to the scene, arriving there five minutes later.
The fire was put out around 12.50pm.