Bulawayo fuel storage depot explodes

A petrol storage tank exploded resulting in a raging fire that reduced several vehicles to shells at a fuel storage depot in Kelvin West industrial area in Bulawayo yesterday.

With a sudden whoosh, flames (pictured) flared up as passersby both driving and walking along Khami Road ran for dear life in panic and shock. Beside the storage tank, a fuel tanker belonging to a company identified as Multi-movers was reduced to a shell. The tanker was reportedly about to load fuel at the storage depot.

According to one of the owners of the truck only identified as Admire who was visibly devastated, the tank was about to load fuel at the depot before catching the fire.

"This fuel truck which has been reduced to a shell is ours. It had come here to load fuel for further distribution," said Admire.
The fuel storage depot is located along Khami Road next to the District Development Fund now RIDA depot at Kelvin West.

The depot is operated by a company identified as Cleaver Investment. When the news crew arrived at the scene shortly after 4pm, hordes of onlookers had rushed to the scene as exaggerated versions of the incident quickly spread through the city centre.

Without apparent concern for their safety, as potential explosions could have followed due to the presence of other fuel tankers, the crowd swelled as the Bulawayo Fire Brigade teams arrived within minutes to battle the inferno.

The fire brigade had to wait for about 30 minutes before extinguishing the fire as they said it was risky to get close to the fire incident, particularly the burning storage tank.

When the brigade eventually began to extinguish the fire, people began to brave up and took away property from offices as well as cars within the premises. The fire brigade, however, managed to control and extinguish the fire after 30 minutes.