Dubai: A major disaster was averted at a petrol station on Emirates Road yesterday thanks to the speedy response of Dubai Civil Defence and police to a fire.
The fire broke out at the Enoc petrol station near the Fruit and Vegtable Market interchange on Emirates Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi when a car crashed into one of the pumps, an official at Dubai Civil Defence told Gulf News.
The official said two cars were burnt before the fire could be contained. The fire was reported at 3:52pm. The incident led to a massive traffic jam during the evening rush hour.
The fire was brought under control within seven minutes of being reported, officials added. Fire-fighters from Al Qusais and Al Rashidiya responded to the situation.
Sarah Al Shammari, a Dubai resident who was an eyewitness to the fire, said she was leaving Mirdiff City Centre and could hear “really loud sirens”. When she was on Emirates Road, she said she could see thick smoke and about “five fire trucks, a number of police cars and a couple of ambulances”. She added that the police could be seen cordoning off the road.
“I could see that one of the petrol pumps was completely black and the petrol station’s roof was melting,” Sarah recalled.
The fire caused a huge tailback of traffic on the road.
An ENOC spokesperson said: "While entering one of the retail sites on Emirates Road, a speeding car lost control and hit another vehicle that was fuelling. This caused a fire, which was quickly managed, with the assistance of the Dubai Civil Defence officials.
"No injuries have been reported and the site is currently closed until restoration works are completed.
"The station’s automatic shut-off system turned off fuel supply instantly. The service and sales staff at the site took all emergency measures to manage the incident and undertook all mandatory evacuation procedures.
"A full investigation is being undertaken by the concerned authorities."
