Warning: Graphic images are included in this article
Clearly, someone didn’t take their safety lessons seriously.
A 25-year-old woman sustained very severe burns after using her handphone at a petrol station in Setapak Indah.
She was using her handphone whilst filling petrol when the accident occurred. While filling up her tank, she opened the left hind door and bent over to reach to the driver’s seat to grab her phone, report Orietal Daily.
Image source: Oriental Daily
She suffered burns to 60 per cent of her body after it was engulfed in flames.
“A spark ignited from the pump and triggered a reaction with her handphone,” said Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department operations chief Samsol Maarif Saibani.
Credit: nst.com.my
Firemen were alerted of the incident at 1.25pm and deployed five personnel from the Wangsa Maju Fire and Rescue Department.
Numerous signs can be found at petrol stations warning customers against using their handphone devices on-site, especially when filling up petrol as it could trigger a fire. However, clearly not all these signs are regarded.
Petrol Dealers Association Malaysia president Datuk Hashim Othman said static electricity could cause sparks to occur and this could have led to a fire or explosion due to the fumes in the air.
“The same goes for a running car engine which might also emit sparks. This is why drivers should turn off their engines when refuelling, and smoking or lighting a fire is definitely a big no in the premises.
“We have been educating the public about the fire hazards but somehow, this is still happening,” he said.
Just last week a little boy got burnt after playing with a lighter while his mom was filling up petrol.
Read more: Kid Plays with Lighter While Mom Refuels Car; Sets Car Ablaze