Businesses evacuated over underground fuel leakages

Source: Businesses evacuated over underground fuel leakages – NewsDay Zimbabwe April 22, 2016

BUSINESSES operating on the eastern side of the central business district in Harare have been evacuated over fear of massive underground fuel leakages within the vicinity, NewsDay heard yesterday.

by XOLISANI NCUBE

A fire tender was yesterday stationed along Nelson Mandela Avenue and Third Street, while groups of police officers and firefighters were examining three service stations in the area to determine where the suspected fuel leakage was coming from.

Occupants of buildings along Nelson Mandela Avenue and Third Street were evacuated and police cordoned off the area.

An insurance firm announced it had moved its staff from the vicinity to other branches, while talk was rife that there was a leaking oil reservoir which exposed occupants of buildings nearby to risks of an explosion.

Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said she had not yet been briefed about the issue. “I will have to check with the responsible authorities on that matter. I have been asked about it by several people. I will have to check with the officers responsible,” she said.

Police officers and firefighters could be seen at one filling station along Nelson Mandela Avenue trying to establish whether it could be the one leaking, while another team was examining a State-owned fuel outlet located close to Defence House.

A statement by ZimNat, an insurance firm, said it had evacuated its staff to other branches as a safety precaution.

“ZimNat would like to inform all clients that the ZimNat head offices have been temporarily evacuated due to a safety situation which has arisen in the vicinity. In the meantime, critical staff members from different companies are operating from the following areas: ZimNat Life – Zimnat – Lion — Avondale, Generation Health and Sovereign Health-Frampol, 80 Mutare Road, Msasa,” the statement read.

Harare City Council spokesperson Michael Chideme referred all questions to the police, saying the local authority was only asked to provide the fire tender in case of emergency.
“As for what is happening or causing the anxiety, talk to the police. We are there to assist the police only,” he said.