Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

Video Credit: AsiaWire

This is the moment a lorry driver risks being burned alive as he drives his blazing trailer packed with old batteries away from busy streets to safety.

Heavy goods vehicle owner Mr Wei revealed that he failed to notice his trailer was on fire until pedestrians pointed it out to him on 28th July.

CCTV footage from the streets of Liuzhou City in China’s southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region shows the canvas covering his trailer having a hole slowly burned into it.

In a matter of minutes, the fire grows to engulf his entire trailer, and Mr Wei can be seen driving through the city’s busy Liupu Road while thick, black smoke billows from the back of his lorry.

But Mr Wei refused to escape or decouple his trailer to save his tractor; instead, he continues to drive, with the blazing lorry seen speeding through busy streets.

He explained: “Pedestrians kept pointed at my lorry. I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw my trailer was on fire.

“There were a lot of people and cars around, and the buildings were very close. I couldn’t have stopped there, so I accelerated and drove away.”

Mr Wei finally came across two sprinkler lorries, which are used for cleaning streets and watering plants.

He parked near them on a much wider road and had the drivers help put out his burning trailer.

Picture Credit: AsiaWire

The local fire service arrived a few minutes later and continued the rescue, with the flames finally put out about one hour later.

Mr Liu revealed he was hauling a shipment of old electric scooter batteries, but he believes a faulty cable in his own trailer may have started the fire.

Mr Wei said: “The only thing on my mind was finding water. All I wanted to do was find water.

“I told the fire service that I was driving to a more open area, otherwise it would’ve been too dangerous.”

The cause of the accident is still being investigated.

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