Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A Juba-based fuel company has lost about $40, 000 after its truck burst into flames and burnt to ashes. The incident happened on Tuesday in Lologo, on the outskirts of Juba City.
Addressing the press yesterday, the Director of Sebbele Company Limited, Abdulsukut Muhammad, said the company had lost about between US$30,000 to US$40,000 in the incident.
He said the fire broke out as they were pumping fuel into one of the trucks that were destined for the state. “I thank all the security organs for their intervention when the fire broke out. We incurred a lot of losses; all three trucks got burnt down,” he recalled.
He hailed the fire brigade and the Somali ambassador for visiting them after the incident. Three fuel trucks were destroyed by the fire. Pascal Ladu Mathias, the Director of Civil Defence Service in Central Equatoria State, said the fire broke out at 6:00 pm and it took the firefighters over 2 hours to put it off. The team also got reinforcement from the UNMISS peace-keeping forces serving.
Attempt to salvage property
“There were three trucks that were completely damaged, and then we had no injuries or death case,” Mathias said. According to the authorities, the fire was caused by heat generated in the process of pumping fuel from one truck to the other.
The officer has urged all fuel operators to register with the police so that their locations are examined to avoid fire outbreaks and easy control. “I am appealing to all companies that are storing fuel to report to the fire brigade so that we shall be able to assess the storage facilities and check to whether the preventive and protective measures are put in place,” Mathias said.
Pascal Ladu, however, decried the logistical snags that make it difficult to contain and prevent fire outbreaks. “We have limited resources. There were only two fire trucks that came here, and then, with the support of UNMISS, they also sent two trucks, said Pascal Ladu. “That was around 8, then we were able to contain the fire outbreak.”
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