Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi honored an Egyptian driver who lost his life after a heroic act of driving a burning fuel truck away from a residential area, saving the city from a potential disaster.

The Egyptian presidency spokesman, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shenawy, announced that President Sisi “awarded the first-class Medal of Merit posthumously to the late Khaled Mohamed Shawky Abdel Aal, a petroleum transport truck driver who died from injuries sustained in a fuel supply truck fire accident at a gas station in the 10th of Ramadan City.”

The spokesman confirmed that the late driver “set a magnificent example of heroism, sacrifice, and altruism, giving his life to protect his colleagues and citizens present at the accident site.”

Last June, Khaled Shawky saved the 10th of Ramadan City in the Sharqia Governorate from a catastrophic disaster that could have claimed hundreds of lives if the fire had reached the fuel tanks inside the station; he rushed into the burning vehicle and drove it out of the residential area.

The truck inside the station suddenly suffered a technical malfunction in the fuel tank, causing it to overheat and catch fire, threatening a catastrophic explosion in a densely populated area with many buildings.

The driver was taken to the hospital where he received treatment for a week before passing away due to first and second-degree burns.

The incident received widespread official and popular reactions, with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly mourning him in an official statement, describing him as a “hero,” and instructing the Ministers of Petroleum and Social Solidarity to grant a generous reward, establish an exceptional pension, and honor his family in recognition of his sacrifice.

The statement confirmed that Shawky “set a model of heroism and sacrifice by giving his life for the citizens,” adding that he “was a symbol of self-sacrifice and quick action in a highly dangerous situation, positively preventing many casualties and destruction, and preserving many lives and properties.”