A tricycle suddenly burst into flames along a road in Purok Tinago 9B Barangay Dadiangas South General Santos City morning.
The tricycle owner Ronnie Malaras said he was welding the footrest when flames suddenly ignited from gasoline exposure incident occurred.
Welder Rowaldo Barrios said the driver failed to switch off engine and remove spark plug before welding activity started process.
Spark plug left connected reportedly caused gasoline ignition leading to rapid fire spread throughout the tricycle structure quickly afterwards incident.
Bystanders and motorists worked together to help extinguish the fire until firefighters arrived at the scene promptly supporting emergency response.
Fire extinguishers from nearby petrol station were used but failed to fully save the burning vehicle completely due intense flames.
The tricycle was declared totally damaged after fire destroyed wiring and most structural components beyond repair condition assessment confirmed loss.
Owner Ronnie Malaras said the tricycle served as his primary daily income source for family livelihood supporting household needs now.
Only toolbox tools and tarpaulin materials were recovered from the burned tricycle after emergency cleanup efforts conducted at incident site.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic but praised quick cooperation among responders and local volunteers nearby during ongoing emergency response.
Authorities reminded mechanics and drivers to follow safety procedures when conducting welding or engine repairs and avoid fire accidents again.
