Fire engulfs fuel market in Mogadishu
Huge inferno has engulfed a fuel market in the Somali capital, razing petrol shops and fuel depots in a city that lacks proper firefighting system, officials said on Monday.
Witnesses at the Blacksea market in Hodan district told HOL that the inferno caused huge property loss as the fire empowered by raging winds destroyed large parts of the market before firefighters arrived to put out the destructive fire.
The fire started at one petrol shop, spreading into adjacent shops in the market. It’s unclear how the fire started.
Bangs and explosions were heard as fuel tankers exploded in the market, sending plumes of smoke into the air. However, fears of fire spreading into nearby residential areas have been raised by residents who struggled to put out the fire by pouring water and other available appliances.
No human causalities from the fire have so far been reported.
Mogadishu which has a small fire brigade has seen series of inferno incidents, which largely caused property losses in a city which is recovering from decades of war.
