Kabelo Tlhabanelo
Two Engen pump attendants have become social media heros after being filmed stopping a massive fire at a petrol station.
Luvuyo Konono and Sthembiso Ntombela took a huge risk with their lives by moving a burning taxi away from the fuel pumps.
The incident, which has gone viral, took place on a busy Tuesday at the Engen Pitstop in Kriel, Mpumalanga.
Luvuyo told Scrolla.Africa:
“I was busy with another car when I saw the smoke and fire underneath the minibus taxi and people running.
“I then ran to fetch the fire extinguisher to try to stop the fire.”
But the fire extinguisher didn’t work.
So Luvuyo did the unthinkable.
- He climbed inside the minibus to try and release the handbrake of the parked burning vehicle.
- “I was afraid that the fire could spread to the pumps and there would be uncontrollable fires. The taxi had to be removed from a danger zone….There was a lot of smoke inside but luckily I managed to get [to] the handbrake”.
Luvuyo also praised his colleague, Sthembiso.
Sthembiso said at first he was scared to help but then thought about the guilt he would suffer if his colleague had died and he hadn’t done anything.
- “I then ran to help because many people were afraid to help. I was happy to see that we managed to push the taxi backwards and kill the remaining fire at the danger zone. It was an experience of a lifetime and our manager is still happy about what we did,” he said.
Manager Samantha Lange said she was proud of the two.
She said: “I was counting stock when the incident happened. They have saved the place.”
Samuel Phamiso said he was at the filling station to buy airtime when the incident happened.
“Just like everyone ran away, I did the same. I thought about the explosion and feared for my life. The two guys are real heroes.”
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