Bandar Seri Begawan - Air of exploding tyres rocked parts of Gadong yesterday, causing members of the public's concern as the shockwaves could be felt through nearby buildings.

The driver of the vehicle, a heavy earth moving truck, was left red faced with embarrassment at the distress caused. "I am sorry for the disturbance, please let them know I apologised," said Zenon Arias from the Philippines.

He added that this was the first time such an incident had happened to him while driving here in Brunei. The middle pair of tyres on the right side of his vehicle had burst while travelling on the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Highway, just as it was nearing the end of the overpass situated in Gadong.

Arias suspected that the numerous trips up and down to Muara could have been a contributing factor in the deterioration of the tyres.

While exploding tyres are known to have a loud bang, the shockwaves were felt by tenants in buildings nearby. "We felt the building shake," said a staff member working at a nearby bank.

"We thought it was a gas cylinder from some of the tenants above," she added. The bank personnel were extremely concerned as a colleague is pregnant and wanted to ensure her safety. The general public began pouring out of buildings, leading to confusion as traffic both human and vehicle alike stopped momentarily.

Security guards of buildings in the area could also be seen rushing outside, inspecting alongside their respective buildings checking for the source of the loud bang which had also set off numerous car alarms in the carparks within the vicinity.

The noise could be heard from as far as Kiulap, with calls being made to members of The Brunei Times to clarify the situation. Some eyewitnesses had suspected that the source of the explosion had originated from the hawker stalls at the Gadong Wet Market.

"I was crossing the street when it happened and for something so loud, I was confident it couldn't have been a tyre," said Ak Zul Majdi Pg Razak. Meanwhile, an observer who spoke on condition of anonymity stressed that the scenarium could have been worse, especially if traffic had been heavy.

"If the truck was travelling at speed when the tyres exploded, the situation could have been a lot worse," she said.

The observer, whose office overlooks the section of the highway said that previously, accidents have occurred in similar circumstances as vehicles tend to lose control after suffering tyre blow outs at speed. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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gadong rocks
written by gadong means green , October 27, 2009

u know how small gadong is when even a tyre explosion can rock the whole of gadong..

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written by wow , October 28, 2009

wow. this news piece reminds me of how the smallest of things would find its way into the papers back home. whats next. mr frosty's truck expands business to more rural kpgs or wait how about a news piece on people falling asleep while at work or prize presentation for kindergarten kids.

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