… While van burst into flames near Pound Yard Bridge

While traveling back to our studio our team encountered a second traffic mishap near the Pound Yard Bridge. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
A few minutes after the accident at the Flag monument was cleared up, officers were busy diverting traffic in the area of the Pound Yard Bridge. A van burst into flames, when its two occupants attempted to start the parked vehicle. Though very shaken, the owner of the vehicle, explained what happened.

Arthur Underwood, Vehicle Owner
“We come deh fi sell some things when di driver ah di car get inside ah di car, di car start to ketch. But ih neva got no time because like ih di blow up like so me neva mi want, we couldn’t get inside in time fi tek out di things dehn. I noh even save one cents. Dis thing dah bout over five thousand dollars worth ah things weh I bring fi sell and now every thing gone.”

Jose Sanchez
“What started the fire?”

Arthur Underwood
“We noh know dat. Ih start from underneath because we just get inside and we mi move off gwein and ih just blow up right so. We noh know what cause it, noh even di driver could tell weh cause it.”

Traffic officer on the scene Phillip Henry explained that he was concerned about the vehicle from before the fire started.

Phillip Henry, Traffic Officer
“He said he said he just wanted to sell some clothes so I leave them and I went back across the street for a little while. But by looking at the vehicle when he parked I asked him how far he came from and he said Belmopan. When I asked him if he put water in his vehicle he said no. about twenty minutes after that I noticed the vehicle started to smoke. The other guy tried to start it maybe to get it to the gas station to get some water in there. That’s when the fire exploded out and that’s when I called back up for the fire department to come in to try to get this vehicle under control.”

Jose Sanchez
“What did you have to sell what did you lose?

Arthur Underwood
“I loses all kind ah thing. I lose all kind ah thing cause I mi got some phone inside deh, all kind ah thing. But we thank God that I no get hurt anyhow.”

The items in the vehicle were not insured. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.