Truck catches fire in Schoemanskloof
The truck driver fled the scene and is still missing.
MBOMBELA – A truck carrying rolls of paper caught fire on the N4 in Schoemanskloof this morning, temporarily obstructing traffic. Fire-and-rescue teams managed to extinguish the inferno in a short time. No one had been injured, but the truck driver was nowhere to be found.
Mbombela Fire and Rescue was called to the scene early this morning. Lead firefighter Mr Greg Fouché said the cause of the fire was still unknown but he suspected that the truck’s brakes heated up and lit the paper rolls which it had been carrying.
“The truck driver was gone when we arrived. We don’t know how or if he fled the scene or left for help, but at 10:00 this morning he still has not returned. That makes it difficult to determine the cause of the fire, but we think the truck must have braked and the heat from the brake pads set the paper rolls alight.”
The incident occurred between VIVA fuel station and the landmark known as Old Joe. Traffic toward the city was temporarily obstructed as firefighters scrambled to clear the road. “By the time we arrived parts of the truck had already burnt out, so we managed to extinguish the fire in a short time,” said Fouche.
Van Wettens towing company were called to the scene to remove the charred vehicle. The cause of the fire was still being investigated.
