A vicious gas explosion on
Saturday rocked a gas station on Arakale road, Akure.
According to eyewitness reports,
a shop owner who is one of the gas sellers, was pumping gas when it exploded,
setting scores of houses ablaze. A Toyota Sienna car was being burnt as of the
time of filing this report.
The driver was said to have tried
to kick-start the car on sighting the explosion. It however did not start
quickly so he abandoned the car and ran away.
The fire reportedly started at
about 6.36 p.m. but as of 7.43 p.m. no fire service personnel or security
agency has arrived.
Another account has it that it
was actually a gas tank parked too close to the road that exploded.
The resident resorted to throwing
sachet water and any water they could find into the fire.
The Sienna bus was driven by a
woman.
They also cordoned off the
section of the road and diverted traffic due to the raging fire.
Most of those who spoke said that men of the fire service refused to come when contacted,
claiming to be on strike.
As at 8.00 p.m., only a few Red Cross personnel were at the scene of the fire, beside
St Thomas Anglican Primary School, Arakale.
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Society