Man dies after catching on fire at Tesco petrol station before hero rushed to save him
A MAN has died after catching on fire at a Tesco petrol station before a brave hero rushed to save him.
He is believed to have suffered burns across 90 per cent of his body during the forecourt horror on Monday night.
Emergency services raced to the Tesco petrol station in Blackley, Manchester, at 7.35pm yesterday.
A “burnt out suitcase” and scorched shoe were spotted at the scene, as were two fire extinguishers and a large empty bottle.
It is understood the man set himself on fire and was rushed to hospital with life-threatening burns after being treated by fire crews at the scene.
It has since been reported that the man has now died of his injuries.
An eye-witness described how residents used buckets of water and a fire extinguisher in a bid to save him.
One eye-witness told the M.E.N. members of the public put out the fire before the fire service arrived.
The woman, who declined to be named, said: “I was in the garden with my partner and we heard a commotion. That’s not that unusual for this area.
“Then I heard a beeping noise, like somebody was pressing and pressing and pressing the horn of their car. And there was shouting, men shouting.
“We stood on the bench of the garden to get a proper look and my partner contacted the fire service.
“Within minutes there were people, residents, swarming around trying to extinguish the man with a fire extinguisher and with buckets of water.
“The fire service took a while to arrive and by the time they arrived the fire had already been put out by members of the public.”
The woman said at first she thought it was a car fire and it was only later she realised a man had set himself alight.
She added: “It was a shock. I’m 24 and when I was 18 I didn’t get the mental health care I needed.
“I understand deeply where he’s coming from if it’s a mental health issue.”
Another resident said: “I didn’t look. The poor man was so desperate, I wasn’t going to be one of the ones to go out and look.”
Another eye-witness told the M.E.N: “Me and my fiancé went to Tesco to do some shopping, and the next thing about ten people all ran in screaming and shouting ‘he’s on, fire he’s on fire’.
“Then people started to run and panic almost like a bomb had gone off. I think that was because we all thought the petrol station might have blown up.
“Me and my partner were outside of Tesco at this point so we ran over towards the petrol station to see if we could help in any way, but it was too late. He had already set himself alight.”
She said a man who was with his child managed to extinguish the fire.
The woman continued: “A couple of people even had the audacity to record the poor man burnt on the floor with their phones, and for once it wasn’t actually teenagers. The teenagers that were there were actually concerned.”
The woman said the emergency services ‘took what seemed like forever’ to arrive, and that some of them used large bottles from Tesco to pour onto the man.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “At around 7.35pm, officers were called to reports for the concern of the welfare of a man on Victoria Avenue East, Manchester.
“A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, where he remains in a life-threatening condition.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Just after 7.30pm on September 4, 2023, three fire engines from Philips Park, Manchester Central, and Whitefield fire stations attended an incident on Victoria Avenue East, Blackley.
“One casualty was treated on scene for severe burns by fire service trauma technicians.
“They were conveyed to hospital by North West Ambulance Service. Crews were in attendance for approximately two hours.”