The swift action of two Sasol Salt Rock petrol attendants averted what could have turned into a seriously hazardous situation last Wednesday when a burning car pulled in next to a fuel pump.
Alerted by the hooting and gesturing of other motorists, a female driver pulled into the garage to obviously inspect the nature of the problem.
Oblivious to the fact that her car was on fire, she pulled in next to a fuel pump.
Spotting the flames underneath the car and aware of the danger, petrol attendants Sanele Gumede and Sibiya Mxolisi jumped into action.
They immediately ushered the car away to a safe distance from the pumps and rushed in with fire extinguishers.
“I don’t think the lady realised her car was on fire,” said Gumede.
“We were first shocked and then concerned about the safety of everybody in the vicinity, but we simply had to do something and do it fast.”
More than 20 cars were parked there at the time and 60 staff work at the petrol station’s precinct.
Relying on their basic firefighting training, the two men successfully extinguished the flames in under two minutes from the moment the car drove in.
Amid the chaos with more motorists stopping to lend a hand, Gumede and Mxolisi remained resolute in their mission to control the fire as the woman was moved to safety. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Sasol Salt Rock manager, Praveena Thulkanum, expressed her gratitude to not only her commendable staff but also two anonymous Samaritans who played a vital role in addressing the emergency.
The Courier was unable to reach the driver for comment.
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