STAFF and shoppers of a supermarket in Suva were left counting their lucky stars after a 10-wheeler truck ploughed into it yesterday.
The truck, owned by National Hire, was travelling down Nailuva Rd when it crashed into Sardar Trading on Grantham Rd just after midday.
According to the driver, the truck brakes failed and he lost control.
Sardar Trading employee Umlesh Chand said he was standing by the side windows of the supermarket when he saw the truck coming.
"I was standing beside the window when I heard the truck. I looked up and saw it and had to quickly get out of the way," Mr Chand said.
Shop cashier Rukshana Nisha said minutes before the incident a group of children had been standing in front of the supermarket window.
"The kids were lucky they weren't there when the truck crashed. There were only two other customers inside and they were lucky to escape injury as well," she said.
Shop owner Mohammed Ayub said it was the first time he had experienced an incident such as that in the six years he had been there.
"I thought there was an earthquake happening when I heard the sound of the crash. We were lucky the store was empty because normally this is a very busy time of the day," he said.
National Hire managing director Faiyaz Ali said the brakes for the truck had been checked a few weeks prior to the crash.
"This is now a matter for the police and the Land Transport Authority to investigate and we will leave it with them," he said. The driver of the truck was taken to hospital with minor injuries.