PANIC AS FIRE GUTS FILLING STATION IN ANAMBRA
REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
Fire has destroyed property and goods worth millions of naira at the popular Unizik Junction, Awka, Anambra State.
The fire, which started at about 1pm on Thursday, caused panic in the area as shop owners, hawkers, commuters, drivers and residents scampered for safety while the raging fire increased.
An eye witness, Mr. Paul Okolo, told Radio Nigeria that the fire started shortly after a tanker finished discharging petroleum product in a filling station located at the junction close to the Enugu Onitsha expressway.
“Honestly this thing happened like magic, the fire just started from nowhere, everybody started running and shouting. Its really terrible,” he narrated.
Radio Nigeria gathered that pump attendants and some customers buying fuel when the incident happened tried to put It out with fire extinguisher but got over powered by the fire that was already burning the tanker.
One of the victims, Mr. Abuchi Ogwo, narrated that he held the Holst pipe to assist men of the Anambra State Fire Service when flames from a melting Rubber tank splashed on his back, leaving him with burns.
“When the fire service men arrived, they were scared to get closer to the fire, so I collected the Holst from them broke the back door and started putting out the fire, while I was doing that the melting fire from the overhead tank started dropping on my back, I struggled for safety before the chemical water now splashed into my eyes,” he narrated in pains.
The fire burnt one of the vehicles and three motorcycles parked within the filling station while part of the main building of the filling station where cartons of engine oil and other lubricants were parked also got burnt.
Shop owners in the adjourning plazas close to the filling station also ran for safety as they were seen parking out their goods and wares for fear that the fire may spread to their buildings too.
In an interview, the Managing Director, Anambra State Fire Service, Mr. Martin Agbili, bemoaned the incident but thanked God that no life was lost.
He used the medium to warn operators of filling stations across the state to desist from discharging contents under hot and harmattan weather rather they should do so either late at night or early in the morning when the atmosphere is cool.
“Its quite unfortunate, it’s sad, I have been advising and warning them not to discharge contents under hot Sunny weather, its very risky as anything could ignite fire under such hot temperature. Some will listen and comply, some will not.
“Thank God we arrived and were able to contain the fire from spreading further”
The Fire Chief told Radio Nigeria that in the last two days, about nine fire incidents had been recorded in different parts of the state with his men being on ground to put them out.