PHOTO: The burnt out fuel tanker
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson Koijee and other officials on Saturday visited the site of the fuel tanker fire incident in the Front Street and Waterside area are in Central Monrovia that that destroyed thousands of US dollars-worth of good and properties, leaving some persons injured.
Mayor Koijee said the government through the Commerce Ministry and Disaster Management Agency is assessing the extent of the weekend’s damage to explore areas of assistance for business people affected.
Hundreds of people rushed to the after a fuel tanker lost control and went into flames.
According to one eyewitness, Bendu Scotland, said the tanker truck carrying fuel was using Front Street while bending the curve, it missed the road and hit the house under the curve and road to the house and exploded.
Madam Scotland, who also owns a business at the Waterside, said she watched the fuel tanker truck rolling as it ran into a building. Quickly, she picked up as the flames got bigger.
Although there was no death, a number of people sustained injuries.
Some occupants, who escaped through the windows got hurt and were later taken to hospital.
Officers of the National Fire Service later rushed to the scene, but some eyewitnesses told this news outlet that they were not on time. Two fire trucks later came and quench the fire.
Some residents of the are expressed disappointment in the fire service for always allowing human and properties to burn before they can arrive, especially when their fire station is not far from where the incident occurred—nearby Ashmun Street.
It is yet to be established what caused the fuel tanker incident.
The driver of the fuel tanker is said to have jumped from the truck before it exploded.