Watch: Taxi driver escapes car explosion after locking bomber inside

A taxi driver in the United Kingdom’s (UK) Liverpool has earned praise after he managed to avert a bomb disaster that could have claimed many lives.

The driver reportedly trapped a bomber inside his car before escaping the blast. A surveillance camera footage captured the exact moment the car exploded outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

The taxi driver, named David Perry, locked the man who he believed had a suspicious item inside the cab.

The footage shows Perry’s taxi exploding just before it jerks to a halt outside the hospital. Smoke engulfs the area as passers-by run to offer help.

The driver is seen exiting the vehicle. A few seconds later, the vehicle is engulfed in flame.

The suspect initially asked the taxi driver to drop him at Liverpool’s Service of Remembrance, according to reports.

Perry was taken to a hospital where he was treated for his injuries, which were not life-threatening.

Also Read: UK police arrest three after Liverpool car blast

Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the driver’s “incredible presence of mind and bravery.”

Liverpool’s Mayor Joanne Anderson, praising Perry’s efforts, described the incident as “unsettling and upsetting”. “The taxi driver in his heroic efforts has managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster,” she said.