Man burned to death after oil tanker catches fire in Saudi Arabia

A car crashed into a petrol tanker on the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway on Friday, triggering a ball of fire, according to Arab media reports.

One person died in the fire, said Major Naif Al Sharif, spokesman for the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Makkah.

Civil Defence rushed to the accident site and contained the blaze, and averted  tanker explosion, Al Sharif said.

According to reports, two other cars were also involved in the accident, but no other casualties were reported.

The 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.