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4 vehicles gutted in Kabul filling station fire

4 vehicles gutted in Kabul filling station fire

author avatar
23 Apr 2012 - 20:57
4 vehicles gutted in Kabul filling station fire
author avatar
23 Apr 2012 - 20:57

KABUL): A fuel tanker and at least three cars were gutted after a huge fire broke out at a filling station in the Dehmazang area of central Kabul province on Monday, officials said.

The fire erupted at around 1:30 pm after rain waters entered fuel tank storages, scattering petrol all around at the filling station, firefighter brigade head Col. Abdul Qayum Gulzar, told Pajhwok Afghan News.  

He said someone had thrown a burning cigarette onto the ground, causing the fire. “It is unclear whether employees of the station or passersby threw a burning cigarette that caused the fire,” he said.  

There were no casualties, but some people suffered financial losses after their vehicles were burnt. He said the losses were being assessed.

An interior ministry official, Col. Abdul Azim Oryakhil, said the fire had been brought under control and that there were no casualties. “Army, police and firefighters tried their best to stop the fire from entering inside oil storages,” he said.

There were 300,000 liters of petrol and diesel in the station, but it was unclear how much of the fuel was lost, said Syed Wakil, an employee at the filling station. He praised firefighters for preventing the fire from spreading to other parts of the station.  

Tamim, whose car was destroyed in the fire, said a silver-coloured corolla car arrived at the station to fill up when he saw its driver was smoking. As the driver was told to stop smoking, he threw the burning cigarette, causing the fire that engulfed the entire area within seconds.

Passerby Sameer said he was 50 meters from the station when he heard a big bang. “It was a powerful blast. We thought it could be a bomb blast or suicide attack,” he said.

mm/ma

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