This evening, I was returning from the day's business by 5pm when I came close to Nkpor Junction, Anambra State, I saw a little fire burning around the tankers offloading fuel and gas at Oando Filling Station. Within minutes, the place became a wreck. The fire started small, and before you could Jack Robinson, it became hellish! Blasts and heat and helter skelter!

A cyclist who said he just got fuel from the station told me the fire started from sparks from a motorcycle's plug.

It burnt for up to an hour before Fire Service from Asaba [or is it Nnewi; not sure] came. People wanted to lynch them. They had run for their dear life. Their van got into the drainage system as people cat stones against them.

People from Asaba [or Nnewi: not sure] wanted to come to rescue a fire situation in Nkpor, an Onitsha suburb, but people, out of anger for the damage already done, preferred to have the fire have its deadly way.

The filling station was close to some buildings. Efforts were made to stop its spread to nearby property, but fire still affected a few areas around the station.

It is really unfortunate.

The fire is still burning around this 7pm.

.

I hope person no die oooo

THUNDER4real:
I hope person no die oooo

i saw the fire start small. Perhaps, that should give people enough room to escape. I cannot confirm any human casualty.

charlsecy:

i saw the fire start small. Perhaps, they should give people enough room to escape. I cannot confirm any human casualty.

what time did this thing happen?

Friday. It happened this evening by 5pm; 16 January, 2015

Season of fireeeeee.
let's be careful Biko.
any slight spark can easily turn to an inferno these days.

Below are some after-fire photos

**************

STONING THE FIRE SERVICE PERSONNEL

Perhaps, it was a mob action. People were angry that the Fire Service turned up [very] late, when damage was already colossal. Earlier on while witnessing the inferno, I had predicted such a thing would happen, because I know a mob can be so senseless. But such an action could lead to more grievous consequences in the future. If the lives of fire men cannot be safe from a mob action when they are on a rescue mission, then what incentive do they have to come to a fire scene when they got emergency calls?

What worries me more is that it's said the fire men didn't come from Onitsha or Nkpor, the region that should be responsible for the scene of the ugly fire. They had come from another region, yet some people, out of a sense of desperation and rage, wanted to lynch them. From the direction they came, they must have come from Nnewi.

Disturbing!

CASUALTY

I cannot confirm any human casualty. It started small, so that should give people enough room to escape. No one lost their life.

Definitely, multimillion property was lost. Water supply tankers came, but they couldn't spray water from afar. However, efforts were made to stop the fire from affecting nearby property further. The inferno affected a number of nearby kiosks and a mechanic workshop.

EFFICIENCY OF FIRE SERVICE

I think fire service has been under-performing. Stories of lack of water, fuel, or late arrival when there's serious fire emergency abound.

In the light of the incompetence of fire service, individuals and groups should take extra caution to forestall ugly incidents such as this.

According to a man who told me he just got fuel from the Station, he said the fire had started from sparks from a motorcycle's plug.

WHO DO I BLAME FOR THIS PARTICULAR FIRE?

Directly, I blame the management of the petrol station, and indirectly, government regulatory agencies

The petrol station was not spacious enough, so they shouldn't be selling fuel whenever they are receiving supplies from tankers. Vehicles were so close to the tankers; any spark from a plug or exhaust pipe could spell unimaginable doom. And that is exactly what happened!

Government should also be more proactive about approving siting of fuel stations. Fuel stations should not be too close to residential buildings.

Fire service should be upgraded and tailored for efficiency, promptness and service.