RAWALPINDI: Burning petrol from an overturned tanker set fire to a number of buildings in Gulraiz Housing Society Tuesday afternoon, in which four people were hospitalised due to smoke inhalation.
According to an eye witness, the fire started after an oil tanker carrying 16,000 litres of fuel overturned at about 6pm, with the oil spilling out.
“The fire started when the petrol came into contact with a generator outside a commercial bank,” said Yasir Ali, an eye witness.
“It was horrible, people started running in panic, not caring that they will be hit by oncoming traffic,” he added.
Firefighting engines, ambulances and the police arrived at the scene soon after and it took hours for firefighters to overcome the fire that burned down the bank, a multi-storey building, several vehicles, a restaurant, a snack bar and several shops.
People trapped in the multi-storey building shouted and waved from the windows, asking for help while others tried to escape.
The fire and thick smoke could be seen for miles and people could be seen running away to avoid stepping in the spilled oil, which was setting on fire everything it was coming in contact with. Firefighters had to draft a plan to control the fire and needed special equipment and chemicals and later used sand to put out the fire.
According to rescue services, four people nearly suffocated from smoke inhalation and were treated at a private hospital while 24 people were trapped in the multi-storey building, who were later evacuated.
Rescue 1122 said that two ambulances, seven fire tenders, one escalator, two water boozers and three fire tenders from the city fire station were used in putting out the fire, which took two hours.
A resident of Gulraiz Colony, Mohammad Arshad, told Dawn he had never seen such a large fire and that he had seen children living in the nearby katchi abadi running away, carrying with them pots, utensils and other possessions.
Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2016
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