Petrol station fire: CCTV footage checked for clues

DUBAI: Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from an Enoc station that went up in flames on Tuesday when a speeding car lost control and smashed into a vehicle being refuelled.

The Emirates Road petrol station was gutted in the freak accident. Two cars parked there were also destroyed. Fortunately, no one was injured as firefighters from Dubai Civil Defence rushed to the spot and contained the blaze.

A day later, the once-busy gas station near Mirdif City Centre wore an eerie look. The pungent smell of burnt rubber and fuel pervaded the air while twisted, blackened remains of the fuel shed were strewn across the ground.

“Caution: buried electric cable below” read a warning on a yellow tape strung around the site.

The road leading to the fuel station has been closed but its convenience store remains open.

In the mini-mart it’s business as usual. But the shocked expressions of the staff are not hard to miss.

“I was not here when the fire broke out, none of the current staff was here, they’re all at the police station to give their statements,” said Rucel Vargas, the branch manager on duty. “I am not sure when the station will reopen,” she said.