Description: A petrol gas tanker in a suburb of the Australian city of Perth has exploded. The tanker caught fire as it re-fulled at a Caltex gas station in the suburb, sending plumes of smoke into the air and sending fire fighters for their lives as the tanker began to More..blow. Western Australian state Fire and Emergency Services, says 45,000 litres of fuel was still in the other compartment of the tanker forcing the evacuation of people from homes and businesses within half a kilometre radius. Remarkable the tanker did not set fire to underground tanks at the petrol station, other wise a bigger disaster would have occoured. The blaze spread to a nearby petrol station and shop but was contained. FESA's Alan Gale says it's caused a significant amount of damage. "The damage certainly to the rear of the tanker itself is fairly substantial but probably more so to the building," he said. "All the front driveway and canopy is extensively damaged." A man videotaped part of the chaos, which saw police officers sending him and others away from the massive fireball. "I was travelling towards Carousel along Albany Hwy and saw the smoke," said one blog witness. "Next thing we knew there was a HUGE black mushroom cloud. We got as close as subway then were turned away. I kept looking back (as we were stuck in traffic!) and I gasped when I saw the flames above the shops adjacent to it!"