Hero cabbie back at work and reuinted with passenger he saved during tearful encounter
Brisbane's hero cab driver who saved the lives of six screaming passengers trapped inside a burning bus was today reunited with one of the victims in a tearful encounter captured on camera.
Aguek Nyok is a Sudanese refugee who was the only person to run toward a burning bus yesterday after Anthony O'Donohue allegedly dumped a sports bag full of accelerant on a bus driver and burned him alive in Moorooka.
The 31-year-old cabbie kicked out the back door of the flaming Brisbane bus on Friday and allowed nine passengers, including three children, to escape uninjured.
With tears in his eyes, the humble father-of-four told 7 News that he was just grateful he could give back to his new home.
“It’s really good, for doing something like making people to be alive,” he said.
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Ross, who cannot be identified, was one of 11 passengers trapped on the bus and acknowledged that if it weren't for Mr Nyok's heroism, he wouldn’t be alive.
“Without you we wouldn’t have got out of that bus,” he told his hero.
“You have no idea how much I appreciate what you did."
O'Donohue was arrested at the scene and has been charged with killing bus driver, Manmeet Alisher, 29.
The 48-year-old alleged attacker has also been charged with 11 counts of attempted murder relating to the passengers who were on the bus at the time.
The passengers were all treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation at hospital.
O'Donohue will remain in custody until his case returns to court in late November.
Earlier Mr Nyok earlier said that when he approached the burning bus, the smoke was so thick he could not see anyone, but he heard them.
"When I looked at the back door, people were lining up trying to get out, but they can’t," Mr Nyok said.
“They were just crying and screaming, “Open the door, open the door. Let us out”.
Senior sources told 7 News that when detectives arrives O’Donohue was just sitting at the scene, casually saying absolutely nothing other than “I want a lawyer”.
It has also been revealed that O’Donohue also has a history of mental illness and five years ago, he walked into police headquarters and threatened officers in an alleged suicide that landed him in a psychiatric ward.
Neighbours told 7 News they couldn't believe O’Donohue would commit such a heartless act.
"He was nice person, he was peaceful person," one neighbour said.
Another said: "A year ago he stopped speaking to all of us. I am just shocked and horrified."
