Syed Ali Shah, Manan Mandokhail:
QUETTA: “All I had in mind was to save human lives”, Muhammad Faisal, a tanker driver who saved by driving a burning tanker on Quetta’s Qambrani road said. The video of Faisal driving fast in a burning oil tanker went viral on social media in Quetta and other parts of the country. “I thought now the tanker will explode and I will die”, Faisal recalls the dangerous movement of his life.
The oil tank parked at a petrol pump on Quetta’s Qambrani road suddenly caught fire. “When I saw the fire I rushed and drove away from the tanker despite roaring flames”, Faisal said as his voice cracked. He belongs to a poor family living in one of the poorest and marginalized neighborhoods of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province.
“My primary concern was to save human lives”
The video, which widely went viral on social media shows thick black smoke rising from the tanker and roaring flames of fire. People are shouting at the driver to stop it. “My primary concern was to save human lives”, the driver with the black-trimmed beard said.
“I thought I would die but I was concerned about the population”, he said. Faisal drove away the burning oil tanker carrying more than 10,000 liters of petrol for around 2 kilometers to save human lives. Faisal is a driver for the last five years and his monthly salary is only Rs. 18000. “Yes I was thinking of my parents and kids when I felt the heat of flames”, Faisal narrated the ordeal.
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“Provincial government should announce a special prize for this bold driver”
Scores of people in the area rushed toward the burning tanker and extinguished the flames of fire. “Provincial government should announce a special prize for this bold driver”, Afaq Ahmed, a resident of the Qambrani road demanded. He demanded of Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Quddus Bizenjo to announce a special prize for the driver who saved precious human lives.
The barve driver of #Quetta who drove away burning tanker to save human lives… Faisal should be encouraged @abbasnasir59 @ZahoorBuledi @asmashirazi @Xadeejournalist @iaqeelyousafzai @mosharrafzaidi pic.twitter.com/a09i6m53fZ
— Quetta Voice (@VoiceQuetta) June 8, 2022
“All I had in mind was to save the people, to save the pump, and to save the owner,” he said. In return, if I know, If I go (die)”, I was mentally prepared”, Faisal said.
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I had to drive a tanker wrapped in flames for two kilometers to reach the empty field
According to Muhammad Faisal, after going some distance, he decided to stop the tanker, then two vehicles came in which people were riding, so I decided to go further, then shops and population came, people were also there. I had to drive a tanker wrapped in flames for two kilometers to reach the empty field. “When I saw this empty place, I parked and thanks to God the door was opened”, he said.
On Wednesday, police, and the owner of the tanker were present on the spot and shifted the burnt tanker to the garage for repair. A crowed of the people was also present on the occasion to witness the burnt oil tanker.
The authors can be reached at @alishahjourno and @mananmandokhail
