Incredible moment when 13 people escape from a burning minivan at a gas station

Incredible moment 13 people escape from small burning minibus after it caught fire at a gas station

  • The incident took place on March 27 in the Johannesburg suburb of Bramley
  • An employee attempted to pull open one of the van’s doors to rescue a passenger

Thirteen people have escaped from a minibus in South Africa after it caught fire at a petrol station.

The incident took place on March 27 in the Johannesburg suburb of Bramley.

Footage shows the van, described as a taxi, standing in the forecourt of the gas station as flames erupt from under the front wheels.

The man in the passenger seat struggles to open the door as a person crashes through a rear window.

Gas station attendant Abdullah James, 36, heroically runs to the passenger’s window and tries to pull it open as others jump out the window to escape.

In the video, gas station attendant Abdullah James, 36, heroically rushes to the passenger’s window and tries to pull it open as others jump through the windows to escape

The man in the passenger seat jumps out the back window and others are then pulled to safety a split second before the front of the vehicle explodes, with black smoke seeping out

The man in the passenger seat jumps out the back window and others are then pulled to safety a split second before the front of the vehicle explodes, with black smoke seeping out

After a few seconds, the man in the passenger seat escapes through the window.

Others are pulled to safety in a split second before the front of the vehicle explodes, billowing black smoke.

The remaining passengers are then pulled out of the back of the van, with one returning to quickly grab an object next to the burning vehicle.

James can then be seen running back with a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.

Other employees also come to help.

James said, “When I saw the fire coming under that taxi, I immediately ran to help the people in so they could survive.

The fire started under the front wheels of the van.  Many passengers had to resort to jumping out of windows to escape

The fire started under the front wheels of the van. Many passengers had to resort to jumping out of windows to escape

James and other gas station staff used fire extinguishers to put out the fire

James and other gas station staff used fire extinguishers to put out the fire

“I didn’t even think about myself. There were at least 13 people inside and I knew I couldn’t leave them in the fire.”

He said he acted after hearing one of the gas station employees shout, “Help, the taxi is on fire.”

James said no one was killed in the accident, but two passengers suffered minor injuries as they escaped through the van’s windows.