By Cajetan Mmuta
It was a devastating and pitiable sight to behold on Thursday as explosions rock a popular Conoil filling station in Awka the Anambra State capital with balls of fire which razed down the complex in the process.
Several properties including vehicles and other valuables worth several millions of naira were destroyed by the inferno.
The fire was said to have started at the filling station located at the Temporary Site Junction of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka location along the busy Awka-Enugu-Onitsha express road at the peak of afternoon sun.
Findings revealed that the driver of a truck laden with several thousands of litres of the petroleum products was discharging petrol when it suddenly caught fire and stirred deafening explosions.
The right section of the petrol station where the truck was parked to discharge its content was completely razed down leaving the Supermart unit of the complex while the generating set and other vehicles parked within the area wee also torched.
The fire tongue which lasted for other two hours had forced staff of the area to scamper for safety even as thousands of sympathizers thronged the station to witness the ugly scenario.
Men of the Anambra State Fire Service were quickly alerted who arrived with several water pipes and an extra water tanker to boost their efforts .
It was a Herculean task as the effect of the fire remained uncontrollable as the harsh and dry harmattan weather condition added more effects to the wildfire.
Worse still, residents of buildings behind the filling station had battled to salvage their belongings from being consumed in the raging fire with the held of friends and neighbours.
In addition, hordes of passengers, commercial buses and other vehicles were held back from travelling to their various destinations by the thick billowing smoke from the fire as it covered the expressway.
However, no life was lost in the fire despite the huge disaster at the petrol station.
Efforts to get the comment of the distraught management and staff of complex as they were sweating it out to save whatever was at their reach even as other fled for their lives.
Christmas: CAN, PFN urge Nigerians to demonstrate love, shun hatred
The driver of the truck who identified himself simply as Mr. Ikechukwu told newsmen that nobody was aware of how the fire started but disclosed that he suddenly noticed a huge flame at which he raised an alarm.
A cording to him, “I don’t know what to say because nobody caused the fire. It happened as we were discharging petrol from the truck I to underground tank but I was surprised to see the ball of fire from nowhere. I don’t know what to do or say, who will take responsibility of this?
The charged atmosphere was later doused by the firefighters who quenched the entire area.
