A high intensity inferno, on Saturday, engulfed a filling station located along Aba Road, Umuahia, next to the constituency office of the senator representing Abia Central, T. A. Orji which was not spared.
The fire which started at about 9.00am during the state’s environmental sanitation emanated from a 48-foot tanker discharging gas at the station.
The inferno has been referred to as “hell on earth” by onlookers as the fire spread to the senator’s office.
All attempts by men of fire service to put the fire out were not possible due to the intensity of the fire and absence of water in the fire service trucks.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal, Imo State and Onitsha Fire Services had put out the fire at about 1 pm.
Speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Chris Ezem, said the state government had noted the issue of location of fuel stations within residential areas in the state, stating that the state government would soon come out with statement on that.
The Abia State Chief of Staff, COS Prof. Anthony C B Agbazuere, promised that the state government would review the policy on fuel station location in the state and warned fuel station owners not to keep petroleum products in tankers for over 24 hours.
He classified the fire as Class “B”, stating that a combined team of federal and state fire service put out the fire that lasted for more than four hours.
Also speaking, a former Special Adviser to the state governor, Allibion Dada, advised that naked light and phone calls should be avoided at fuel stations.
In his reaction, Ifeanyi Umere, the Liaison Officer to Sen. T. A. Orji, whose office was saved by a strong neighbouring wall, lamented the destruction of the office lawn and loss of personal items to miscreants and thanked God that the entire building was saved and no lives were lost.
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