Two petrol stations were on Sunday night gutted by fire in the commercial city of Onitsha in Anambra State.
Report gathered that the fire, which started at Silver Oil Petrol Station, later extended to Chris Tee oil, razing down the stations. No life was lost in the inferno, which started at about 8p.m., sources said.
The State Police Command’s Spokesperson, DSP. Toochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in a press release he signed and issued to journalists.
Ikenga said: “At about 8p.m., information was received at Inland Police Station Onitsha, that there was a fire outbreak at Silver filling station, along the Onitsha/Enugu expressway by Awka Road, Onitsha
“An unconfirmed source had it that a truck laden with petroleum product caught fire inside the filling station while awaiting discharge.
“The DPO Inland Town Police Station quickly contacted the Fire Service, and equally went to the scene with police operatives, who cordoned it off in order to mitigate casualty and prevent hoodlums taking advantage of the scenario to loot.”
He said the immediate or remote cause of the fire incident, casualty level and value of damage done are yet to be formally determined, but sources told our correspondent that no life was lost in the incident.
Meanwhile, Governor Willie Obiano has moments ago, visited the two scene of the incident.
Obiano, while inspecting the level of damage caused by the fire incident, frowned at the nonchalant attitude of some petroleum station owners in siting gas plants and fuel stations at same location.Obiano said: “We thank God because no life was lost during the fire incident. I also want to commend the Anambra State Fire Service and other security agencies for their timely response.
“I have, however, directed the immediate sealing off of both fuel stations, and ordered that it be taken over by the state government,” Obiano said.
