JEDDAH: A man burns to death after a tanker carrying 33 tons of petroleum catches fire on the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway on Friday, according to Arab media reports.
The fire spread to nearby vehicles and at least 11 other vehicles were completely gutted in the accident. Many deaths and serious injuries were also reported.
Civil Defence rushed to the accident site and and firefighting teams extinguished the blaze, avoiding a possible explosion of the tanker.
The taxi driver was burned to death, confirmed Maj. Naif Al-Sharif, spokesman for the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Makkah. The identity of the dead driver was not immediately established.
The Haramain expressway is the main route into Makkah from Jeddah. It is the primary route for most pilgrims to the holy city after they land at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport.