NTSB Faults Trucker in Gas Fire

BILOXI, Miss. (AP) - A fuel truck driver's failure to follow proper safety procedures was the primary cause of a gasoline fire that killed five people last year at a Gulf Coast convenience store, the National Transportation Safety Board reports.

A sixth person was severely injured in the fire at Texaco Fast Lane convenience store on U.S. 90 in Biloxi.

The NTSB, based on its year-long investigation, said in the report made public Tuesday that the driver did not determine how much gasoline was in the underground tanks at the store and did not closely monitor the loading process.

The report also said the driver failed to tell his employer that he had been fired from a previous truck-driving job, and that he had been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder.