Diners jump from burning restaurant onto truck carrying peas

A quick-thinking driver has saved a group of diners stuck inside a burning restaurant after turning his vegetable truck into a make-shift safety cushion.

More than 10 people jumped from the second-floor restaurant and landed on the huge pile of peas the driver was transporting.

It's understood that all people on the second floor escaped the fire safely thanks to the vehicle.

A video, posted by People's Daily China on Youtube yesterday, captured the incident.

The clip shows men and women escaping from the restaurant, which had caught fire. They glided along ropes before landing on the vegetable truck.

It is reported that the incident occurred at a town in Tangshan city, Hebei Province, on June 3.

Jiang Fengchen, the truck driver who was delivering peas to restaurants in the area, noticed the fire and parked his truck beneath the building, according to reports.

The 39-year-old told China News Service that he was thinking to use the peas as a rescue cushion for people to jump on.

'The peas in my truck was about a floor high, and the soft peas are perfect to act as a cushion for people to jump on,' Mr Jiang told China News Service. 'There is nothing more important than saving people.'

Onlookers gave the trapped diners ropes and ladders to exit the building.

The report did not mention the cause of the fire or if there were any casualties.

The driver has been billed as the pride of the town.

Web users praised for the truck driver's heroic act. Some also questioned where the policemen and firefighters were under the emergency.

'All the rescued diners should buy the peas from the driver,' said 'lulu2013-3'.

While 'Tangshanhottopic' commented: 'Only members of public offered to help the diners. Where are the policemen? And I don't see any fire engine from the video too!'