A man in his 40s was taken to hospital after his van exploded into flames while parked at a petrol pump.

Emergency services rushed to the Shell service station on Shute Harbour Road, opposite Cannonvale State School, at around 9pm last night following reports of a vehicle fire.

Dramatic footage captures the van completely engulfed in flames beside the fuel pump, as nearby motorists quickly fled the scene.

The driver had been inside the vehicle when the explosion occurred but managed to escape moments before the fire took hold.

Marie Bogie, the Acting Store Manager, revealed that the man had been travelling along Shute Harbour Road when he noticed smoke billowing from his van. In an attempt to pull over, he stopped at the petrol station—only for the vehicle to erupt into flames.

At the time of the incident, only one staff member was on duty. Fortunately, no damage was caused to the service station itself.

A spokesperson for the Queensland Fire Department stated that two fire and rescue crews battled the blaze for some time before managing to fully extinguish it just before 10pm.

The driver was transported to Proserpine Hospital for treatment after inhaling smoke but escaped without further injuries.

This was one of three vehicle fires reported that day. Earlier, emergency crews attended two separate car fires near Rockhampton, less than five kilometres apart. Although no one required medical attention, one of the incidents sparked a small grassfire, which firefighters swiftly brought under control.

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