A fuel tanker truck (GAJ 9707) owned by a 36-year-old businessman from Culvert City, Lethem, caught fire early this morning, August 23, 2025, around 05:15 hours while traveling along the Mabura road towards Lethem.
The truck was driven by Vijay Persaud, 38, accompanied by his 20-year-old porter, Joseph Layne. They were transporting a total of 39,000 liters of fuel—19,500 liters of gasoline and 19,500 liters of diesel—when the incident occurred.
According to Persaud, he heard a loud explosion, resembling a tire burst, prompting him to stop the vehicle. Upon inspection, he discovered that the left rear tire was on fire. Despite attempting to extinguish the flames with a fire extinguisher, his efforts were unsuccessful. The fire rapidly escalated, forcing both men to flee to safety. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The fire station was alerted, and by 11:15 hours, water bowser #19, led by Sub Officer Fenton Drepaul-Saul and four crew members, arrived at the scene. The firefighters quickly took action, successfully extinguishing the blaze by 12:30 hours.
The damaged truck has been cordoned off, and traffic is flowing freely in the area. Both the driver and porter are currently assisting police with the investigation into the incident.
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