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A fuel tanker believed to belong to Budget Petroleum, and lifting petroleum products for Melab Trading company has caught fire in Lusaka’s industrial area.
The tanker caught fire on Saturday around 11:00hrs on the road lying between the roundabout at Zambeef and Zambian Breweries.
Eye witnesses say that before the tanker caught fire, some people were seen scooping petrol from it.
A video trending on social media has shown some people stealing fuel from the tanker before it went up in flames.
In the video, the tanker before catching fire was seen parked by the side of the Mungwi road.
Meanwhile, Danny Mwale, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, said a Toyota Hatice minibus which was parked near the scene of the incident also caught fire and got burnt extensively.
Mwale in a statement on Saturday said all the passengers on board managed to escape unhurt.
A Toyota Hatice minibus which was parked near the scene of the incident also caught fire and got burnt extensively.
He said police recorded a fire incident involving a Volvo Tanker truck which was carrying 45,000 litres of Petrol which was destined for Vivo Energy in Mungwi road.
He explained that the vehicle was suspected to have caught fire after the spare wheel underneath the Tanker hit the ground at the gate area where the terrain is not good.
“It was at that moment when the driver identified as Charles Karambera, a Zimbabwean aged 46 noticed fuel spilling out of the tanker and decided to park the vehicle and immediately people starting looting the fuel.
“He later noticed a huge fire which extensively burnt the truck bearing registration numbers AFJ 9146 and AFQ 1452 property of Melabs Tradings of Zimbabwe,” Mwale said.
Police recorded a fire incident involving a Volvo Tanker truck which was carrying 45,000 litres of Petrol which was destined for Vivo Energy in Mungwi road.
According to Mwale, Fire Brigade officers from Zambia Air Force and Lusaka City Council responded swiftly and managed to quench the fire.
He stated that police visited the scene and initial investigations indicate that there were no casualties reported.
The value of the property destroyed is yet to be established.
“The incident occurred on February 25, 2023 around 11:00 hours at Shift Rite premises along Mungwi Road in Lusaka. Police have opened an Inquiry File to establish the actual cause of fire,” Mwale said.
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