MUSAFFAH // Columns of bright yellow flames leapt into the air in the Musaffah industrial area yesterday after several storage tanks holding thousands of litres of diesel fuel ignited. Abu Dhabi Civil Defence and teams of firemen and police battled the fire for more than hour as a succession of fuel tanks erupted into flames, shooting pieces of concrete and other debris across the street, onlookers said.
The fire started at around 5.30pm on the premises of Al Showeihat, a construction company. At least one person was injured during the blaze and a police officer collapsed moments after the flames were doused, apparently from heat exhaustion. He received treatment from an ambulance crew on the scene. Police said they were still investigating the cause of the fire. Ibrahim Mohammed, a garage foreman for Al Showeihat who was working when the fire erupted, said he heard at least three explosions.
"One of the diesel drums flew 100, maybe 200 metres, down the street after one of the explosions," he said. After the first tank erupted, he said, the heat caused at least two others to burst. "If the 10,000-gallon drum blew up, no-one would be standing here right now," he added, pointing to an unexploded tank that sat amid flame-scorched rubble. Scores of bystanders looked on as fire crews doused smouldering fires. Several witnesses said pools of diesel fuel began leaking from storage tanks into a nearby road and then burst into flames and sent firemen running for cover.
Several cars were destroyed. An hour after the fire, one saloon car and at least two yellow construction vehicles owned by Showeihat stood charred. Employees of Al Showeihat were on break and drinking tea inside when the storage tanks exploded. "If anyone was walking by when it happened, for sure they would be dead," said another employee, who declined to be named. Email:hnaylor@thenational.ae
