A MIDDLE-aged couple narrowly escaped with their lives last evening when their private transportation minibus, travelling east along Aubrey Barker Road in South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, burst into flames.

Almost instantly, the gas tank exploded, and within minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. Nothing on or in the vehicle was saved.
The distraught and badly traumatized couple, who gave their names as “the Archers of Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown”, painfully, related their experience to the Sunday Chronicle staff who arrived on the scene soon after hearing of the disaster.
Mrs. Archer said no one else was in the vehicle with them. She recalled that as they were approaching Congress Drive and were just opposite Stainmasters, the engine of the bus died, and the vehicle came to a halt. At that moment, the driver of a passing motor car called out to them in a frenzy, saying, “Fire spilling under yuh bus!”
Mrs. Archer declared, “We immediately got out (of the bus) and, thank God, it was just at the right time, because the moment we were out (and) onto the road, the bus burst into flames.”
Ignoring the depth of the water which had accumulated substantially on that part of Aubrey Barker Road, the couple dashed for Stainmasters’ yard, and was quickly helped by the owner, who brought out fire extinguishers and began trying to extinguish the blaze.
“We are grateful to them for all the help they gave us, because we do not know them personally,” the couple said.
The fire department was quickly alerted, and arriving on the scene soon after, they began dousing the vehicle.
“It really was a big fire and was flaring uncontrollably,” Mrs. Archer recounted. Out of abundant caution, motorists took evasive action to ensure their safety, and traffic which was flowing both ways along Aubrey Barker Road was temporarily ground to a halt.
The couple, who are Christians, said that apart from losing the bus, they also lost everything that was in it. Just the day before (Friday) Mr Archer had purchased some $170,000 in electrical fittings and appliances to be used for wiring a church, and it was all stored in the bus.
“Even though we are deeply saddened over the loss, we are thankful to God for sparing our lives; and we feel that if we had only hesitated because of the water on the road, it would have been too late,” Mrs Archer said forlornly.
Mr. Archer, who was not too keen to speak with the media, preferring to avoid publicity, was most thankful to all those who offered held, including Stainmasters and the fire fighters.
The police, who also arrived on the scene, eventually cordoned off that section of the road in order to allow ranks and the fire department to conduct their investigations.