COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Passengers of a commuter van got the scare of their life when four sacks of charcoal loaded on top of the vehicle began burning as they made their way into this city Wednesday morning.

Mang Yusoph, who planned to sell the charcoal in the market here, said he believed the extreme heat of the sun may have set the charcoal off because no one inside the van or on its roof had been smoking.

Yusoph, of Barangay Tanuel, Datu Odin Sinsuat town, said the van was turning into Quezon Avenue when bystanders noticed smoke coming from the charcoal sacks.

The van driver hurriedly threw down the smoking sacks as Yusoph rushed for water to douse the blaze and save his merchandise.

He said he expected to earn at least P500 from the charcoal he managed to save.

Central Mindanao has been reeling from a heat wave caused by the El Niño phenomenon, which has already ruined hundreds of hectares of farmlands in the region. I-Watch Media-DateLine Philippines