Hero saves passengers in MH fire others took photos and video

[Barclaybasher]

A man from Burton has revealed how he leaped to the rescue to save six people from a burning vehicle.

Akam Ali has been hailed a hero after he pulled six people from the camper van.

And the man, from Staffordshire, has now told of how it was a family tragedy which inspired his efforts.

He has revealed how the death of his cousin gave him the determination to carry out the daring rescue.

Ali said it was the death of his cousin in 2016 when his car went up in flames that made him determined to not to let it happen to anyone else, reports our sister title.

Derbyshire Live reports he dodged traffic to cross the busy road on foot after spotting the accident as he was using a garage on the opposite side of the road.


He leaped on the roof of the camper and pulled the terrified occupants out through a window - getting the last one out seconds before a gas bottle exploded.

All six people got out alive thanks to his quick thinking actions - just before the van was engulfed in flames and destroyed.

He had been on the way to a barbers appointment in Lichfield when he saw the aftermath of the crash after the van had been involved in an accident on the sliproad of the A38 at Fradley .

He said: "Seconds after I jumped off the first gas cannister exploded.

"The reason I didn't give up was because many years ago I lost a cousin when his car got burned and I just thought that if someone had been there like I had he could have been saved.

"I don't know how I did it but when you panic it definitely makes you stronger."

The 39-year-old had stopped for a bite to eat when he heard a "very big bang" and instantly knew there had been an accident.

He said: "I left everything at the petrol station to look down the road and I could see a camper van had gone on its side.

"It was very heavily raining so the visibility for cars meant they couldn't see my trying to cross the road.



CLICK TO PLAY
THE AFTERMATH OF THE CAMPER VAN FIRE ON THE A38 NEAR LICHFIELD


"I knew the people must be trapped so in the end I just crossed. Cars started beeping at me but I ignored them.

"As soon as crossed the road I saw people around the caravan with their phones out not doing anything.

"I didn't know why they didn't want to get closer but it was because of the gas in the camper van.

"I was getting angry with people recording it instead of helping."

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Mr Ali, of Derby Street, Burton , told how at first he broke the back doors but found there was too much stuff to get the people out. It was then he saw the windows on the side and climbed on top of the campervan.

He said: "As soon as I pulled the first one out the fire had started. The screams were really frightening.

"I knew that if I didn't get them out, they would have 100 per cent definitely got burned.

"When I got the last lady out in the red dress, the fire started getting really close then.

"The fire started getting really close to my right hand side and really warm but I didn't stop.

"I was still in shock when I left. I knew I was trying to save their lives but at some points the fire was threatening me to give up.

"The screams and crying of the lady reminded me she was just a human like me."


Mr Ali is the owner of Unique Physique and Fitness for Ladies , in Wetmore Road.

The father-of-one said the flames leap high into the sky with debris flying as far as the other side of the road as the bottles exploded.

When asked how it feels to be called a hero, he said: "I feel that I have saved their lives and to people they will call me a hero but I did it because they are human like me and they would have died if they didn't get out.

"I think that this is what people should do if they see an accident. They should be brave and go to help them, not take out their phones and start to record it.

"I left my car with the keys in to go save their lives so my car could have been stolen by the time I got back."

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This is not the first time Mr Ali has helped someone when he has come across an accident. While on holiday in Istanbul, he came across an accident when a driver's airbag had inflated and he had fainted.

He had to bend the door back and get him out of the seatbelt which would not release.

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• How to claim compensation for train delays as Cross City Line chaos sees rail services cancelled

The accident on the A38 happened on Saturday, July 27, at around 2pm, with two people taken to hospital with minor injuries as a precaution.

Staffordshire Police, West Midland Ambulance Service and fire crews from Lichfield and Barton under Needwood attended.

 

[Grianan]

That brought a lump to my throat. He is a real hero. Some people just freeze and literally can’t help.
And he’s right ... we’re all human and should try to look after and help each other.

 

[Yorick]

I wouldn't risk my life to risk a stranger. Gas bottles are too dangerous to go near.

 

[olley]

Old soldier who comes in the pub rescued an hgv driver on the a14 about 10 years ago, he spent about a week in hospital himself with the burns he got getting the guy out.

 

[TheBig1]

Any decent human being would surely try to help. personally I would of smashed the windscreen out to create an exit

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[Yorick]

Any decent human being would surely try to help. personally I would of smashed the windscreen out to create an exit

I'm a decent human being. Just too many dead heros.

 

[olley]

I rescued the wife from spinster Hood does that count

 

[Camping Gaza]

I also would have helped, smashing a window, anything, knowing there were people burning and screaming inside. Its just a human reaction surely.

 

[Jim]

I'm reminded of a time in Hong Kong I was in a minibus full of Brits. We were travelling from the New Territories over the mountain toward Hong Kong Island. I noticed as we stopped to pick someone up that we were overtaken by a large truck painted pillar box red with big white letters everywhere saying in English and Chinese, DANGER EXPLOSIVES. I thought no more of it.

Our knackered old minibus climbed the winding roads of Tai Mo Shan mountain. As we went over the top we were presented with a series of acute bends, of the kind that delight Jeremy Clarkson. This ribbon of road snaked its way along the 3000 feet drop toward Hong Kong Island below.

Our minibus stopped urgently and I noticed running up the road was a Chinese man waving frantically and shouting. Looking down the road I could see that the explosives truck had not made the first sharp right hand bend, its brakes had failed and it had crashed into the rock the road was cut out of. The man got closer and louder and I leapt out, he was shouting the same sentence over and over in Cantonese waving what looked like an old shirt. I then noticed that a small fire had started under the front right wheel of the explosives truck, and the old guy screamed even louder and pointed at a fire extinguisher one of the lads now out of the minibus had picked up.

Rather than deal with the fire I thought I would contain the situation I sent two guys down across the steep countryside get to the road below and stop any vehicles coming up the mountain and getting close to the explosives. It was just about doable and they got there. I got our minibus driver to reverse out of the line of sight of the truck and we stopped traffic behind. The guy was still screaming in Cantonese over and over.

He had taken our fire extinguisher but rather than fight the fire he thrust it in my direction repeating the sentence over and over. It was then to my horror that I realised he must’ve meant that there was someone trapped in the explosives vehicle.

I looked around in dread; no one was going near the explosives, In a moment of utter stupidity I grab the extinguisher and run toward the red burning explosives truck, It was about three hundred yards away. In that short time I thought of dying and I thought of being a hero and getting a medal and I thought about just running away and I thought, why me? Its amazing how many thoughts you can have in a crisis. I ran faster, I could still hear the Chinese guy screaming. I reached the truck and straight away started fighting the fire it went out it quite easily as the extinguisher emptied, I then opened the cab there was no one there I quickly checked underneath and all around for a body. nothing.

I checked in the back, shouting is anyone in there, I could see a couple of freezer type objects which must of held the explosives, then I was aware that the fire was burning again, my extinguisher empty, I shouted again, is anybody in there. The tyre was really alight now and roaring. I decided to run, stupidly I decided to run up the hill back toward the minibus, no medals for me today I’d saved no one, not even the truck By the time I got to the top the truck cab and engine was burning well.

I couldn’t believe I’d risked my life for nothing there was no one there. I screamed at the old man, there was no one there. Very shortly afterwards emergency services arrived and the fire was properly extinguished, thankfully only the cab was damaged. The driver of the explosives wagon was questioned, so was I and I told my story about rushing down because I thought someone was there, I played it cool as heroes do. I asked the Police sergeant to ask the old boy what he was continually shouting at me. He called him over and asked him. The old boy told him and through a smile, the sergeant told me. He was continually shouting “Don’t worry there are no explosives inside” Hero to twerp in twenty minutes.

 

[Spriddler]

This selfish filming instead of helping is outrageous.
Last Sunday I came to a halt behind traffic on the M40 near Jn 2. Three cars had collided 500yds ahead of me, probably seconds before and one had burst into flames. Fortunately all the injured had got out, BUT cars began piling down the hard shoulder coming to a standstill. When the police car arrived 10 or 15 minutes later after squeezing and dodging between the stationary vehicles in the correct lanes they had to shuffle the hard shoulder cars into the correct lanes for over a mile to allow 3 fire tenders and 2 ambulances to get to the scene. Disgusting and selfish behaviour.

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[Glas Robin]

This selfish filming instead of helping is outrageous.
Last Sunday I came to a halt behind traffic on the M40 near Jn 2. Three cars had collided 500yds ahead of me, probably seconds before and one had burst into flames. Fortunately all the injured had got out, BUT cars began piling down the hard shoulder coming to a standstill. When the police car arrived 10 or 15 minutes later after squeezing and dodging between the stationary vehicles in the correct lanes they had to shuffle the hard shoulder cars into the correct lanes for over a mile to allow 3 fire tenders and 2 ambulances to get to the scene. Disgusting and selfish behaviour.

Whereas in Austria last week on a 2-lane motorway with hard shoulder there were many hold ups for roadworks. Each time every car filed into two lanes and left a wide gap in the middle for emergency vehicles. Sure, a few cars switched lanes to try and get a couple of lengths’ advantage. But a complete contrast to the arseholes here who fill the hard shoulder.

Police should take them out and practice taser technique on them.

 

[TheBig1]

I'm a decent human being. Just too many dead heros.

It is that attitude, often mistaken for cowardice that leads to people dying unnecessarily.
Some of us dont think only of themselves and get stuck in to save lives, and have commendations from the chief constable to prove it

 

[Spriddler]

Whereas in Austria last week on a 2-lane motorway with hard shoulder there were many hold ups for roadworks. Each time every car filed into two lanes and left a wide gap in the middle for emergency vehicles.

I believe it's a traffic law in Germany that vehicles must move over to the extreme of the lane to allow a path for emergency vehicles.
One of the guys trapped on the hard shoulder ranted about the delay, saying he was 'only' trying to get to the slip road exit. I told him that the police had closed the slip road (which they had) and that they were coming up booking everyone on the hard shoulder. They weren't sadly but I felt it a justifiable fib and it did shut him up. When we started moving an hour later he and all the others were desperately trying to barge back onto the motorway.

 

[Glas Robin]

It is that attitude, often mistaken for cowardice that leads to people dying unnecessarily.
Some of us dont think only of themselves and get stuck in to save lives, and have commendations from the chief constable to prove it

Do the French still have their Good Samaritan law?

 

[Yorick]

It is that attitude, often mistaken for cowardice that leads to people dying unnecessarily.
Some of us dont think only of themselves and get stuck in to save lives, and have commendations from the chief constable to prove it

Don't think you're better than me. I'm not a coward. If that gas bottle blows, you're dead. I won't take that risk

But I did risk my life to save my wife on our honeymoon. We were on a boat trip and some of us took the Snorkels and masks and did a bit of exploring about 1/2 mile off shore.

When I got back on board, I couldn't find my wife. Then I saw her about half way to the beach, struggling.
I dived straight in, and coz I had big fins on, I got to her just before she went under. I revived her and then had to drag her another 400 yards to the beach. I didn't think I was gonna make it, but had to save here.
When I got there, I collapsed from exhaustion. The boat staff had just arrived in a small dinghy and took care of her first, then me.

So please don't pretend that you're better than me. Words are easy on a keyboard

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[Grianan]

Do the French still have their Good Samaritan law?

A German boy we had staying with us last week said that they do.

And Jim not a twerp, you were prepared to save a life, risking your own. That’s heroic.

Yorick, I truly hope that you’re never in the situation that you need saving. But if you are, I also hope there’s a hero on hand to try to save you. Think of the teachers at Dunblane who protected their kids before themselves. It’s what people do.

 

[Yorick]

Yorick, I truly hope that you’re never in the situation that you need saving. But if you are, I also hope there’s a hero on hand to try to save you. Think of the teachers at Dunblane who protected their kids before themselves. It’s what people do.

Sometimes there's a fine line between hero and foolhardy.

 

[bigtwin]

We can’t all be heroes; otherwise, how would you recognise a hero?

Ian

 

[Chris]

Don't think you're better than me. I'm not a coward. If that gas bottle blows, you're dead. I won't take that risk

But I did risk my life to save my wife on our honeymoon. We were on a boat trip and some of us took the Snorkels and masks and did a bit of exploring about 1/2 mile off shore.

When I got back on board, I couldn't find my wife. Then I saw her about half way to the beach, struggling.
I dived straight in, and coz I had big fins on, I got to her just before she went under. I revived her and then had to drag her another 400 yards to the beach. I didn't think I was gonna make it, but had to save here.
When I got there, I collapsed from exhaustion. The boat staff had just arrived in a small dinghy and took care of her first, then me.

So please don't pretend that you're better than me. Words are easy on a keyboard

You are so precious, you really are

 

[Scotch mist]

Yorick , I see you have a picture of you on a track bike ? On what looks like a track day , if I’m rite then there is some risk of losing your life doing that for your personal pleasure BUT you wouldn’t risk to help save a life regardless of who it is , I find that hard to understand

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[Barclaybasher]

One of our staff was on the opposite carriageway on the inside lane and said the heat was intense... she felt sick just at the site

Well thanks to one hero's fast thinking and actions (an immigrant from Kurdistan by the way) 6 people are alive.....

Top man (and human being) in my book ? ? ?

 

[Yorick]

Yorick , I see you have a picture of you on a track bike ? On what looks like a track day , if I’m rite then there is some risk of losing your life doing that for your personal pleasure BUT you wouldn’t risk to help save a life regardless of who it is , I find that hard to understand

I'd risk injury to help somebody. That is a given. Just not risk my life. We only have 1 life. I'm not gonna waste it.

Did you not read where I saved my wife's life ?

And I'm safer on track, than you are on the road. I've done 150 MPH about 30,000 times on track.

 

[Crazylegs]

Akem Ali truly is a hero. The camper lost grip on exiting the A38 in the wet on a sharper than expected slip road, hit a lamppost then flipped onto its side. In the vehicle were four people ( not six as reported) all were shocked and dazed, fortunately my friend Martin is ex forces and understood what a serious situation they were in. He started releasing his friends from their seatbelts whilst trying to find something to stand on to give him sufficient height to open the side door that was now sky facing. This was when Akem Ali appeared looking down from the now open side door, he offered his hand and shouted to everyone to get out NOW, he apparently was as strong as an ox pulling my four friends out as if they were rag dolls. Ten seconds after they got out the lpg tank that propelled the camper exploded.

 

[bigtwin]

Yorick , I see you have a picture of you on a track bike ? On what looks like a track day , if I’m rite then there is some risk of losing your life doing that for your personal pleasure BUT you wouldn’t risk to help save a life regardless of who it is , I find that hard to understand

When you understand the risk you are facing, you can take a judgement on the risk/reward relationship. The decision to participate in any normal everyday activity (or sport) Is taken with a rational and calm mind.

Being faced with something unexpected where the risks are imminent and not fully understood in a high pressure/heat of the moment situation is entirely different and I, for one, would not judge anyone for there reaction/decision.

Ian

 

[Scotch mist]

And I'm safer on track, than you are on the road. I've done 150 MPH about 30,000 times on track.

There’s little risk doing 150mph on the track UNLESS it’s on the corners lol
( I've done 150 MPH about 30,000 times on track ) that must be some kind of record

Your rite we have only one life , for me it would be a waste of a life if I didn’t risk injury or life to
Try to save another

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[Yorick]

There’s little risk doing 150mph on the track UNLESS it’s on the corners lol

My fastest knee down is 145. So we do go fast on corners.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Akem Ali truly is a hero. The camper lost grip on exiting the A38 in the wet on a sharper than expected slip road, hit a lamppost then flipped onto its side. In the vehicle were four people ( not six as reported) all were shocked and dazed, fortunately my friend Martin is ex forces and understood what a serious situation they were in. He started releasing his friends from their seatbelts whilst trying to find something to stand on to give him sufficient height to open the side door that was now sky facing. This was when Akem Ali appeared looking down from the now open side door, he offered his hand and shouted to everyone to get out NOW, he apparently was as strong as an ox pulling my four friends out as if they were rag dolls. Ten seconds after they got out the lpg tank that propelled the camper exploded.View attachment 321739View attachment 321739

Thanks for your post and hope your friends are well - it was reported 2 were seriously injured

and thanks for people like Akem

 

[Yorick]

( I've done 150 MPH about 30,000 times on track ) that must be some kind of record

I hit at least 150 every lap. Often faster. I did 100 laps a day. 20 trackays a year. I instructed 15 years. Simple maths.

 

[Barclaybasher]

I hit at least 150 every lap. Often faster. I did 100 laps a day. 20 trackays a year. I instructed 15 years. Simple maths.

But you didn't pull anyone from a burning camper.......

 

[Chris]

I'd risk injury to help somebody. That is a given. Just not risk my life. We only have 1 life. I'm not gonna waste it.

Did you not read where I saved my wife's life ?

And I'm safer on track, than you are on the road. I've done 150 MPH about 30,000 times on track.

You are my hero Yorick

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