About 15 cars were on Saturday evening reportedly involved in accidents after drivers failed to control the vehicles on slippery roads following a diesel spillage that affected the stretch of road from Msasa National Fuel Depot up to the intersection of Robert Mugabe and Mutare roads.
The driver of a Borewell Transport Company tanker carrying about 10 000 litres of diesel, drove all the way from the fuel depot oblivious that diesel was spilling on the tarmac until the tanker was empty by the time he reached the intersection of Robert Mugabe Road and Mutare Road.
Although police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba could not comment yesterday saying she was out of town, Environmental Management Authority (EMA) spokesperson Mr Steady Kangata confirmed the spillage and the 15 accidents.
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| 15 Car Crashes As Tanker Spills Diesel |
“The tanker had a leak on one of the pipes and it’s very questionable why the driver did not stop early enough to attend to the pipe. This is negligence on the part of the driver. Diesel transportation and substances of such kind have Government regulations that should be adhered to. Every company before any delivery, is required to check on the integrity of its tanks: It was reported that about 15 accidents took place along the road,” said Mr Kangata.
Principal contractor for Curity Spill Response Mr Tawanda Marongwe bemoaned the non-existence of a well-defined organisation to contact when such disasters strike.
“It is an unfortunate incident, but it is also an opportunity for us to review our spill response systems in the country. When something like this happens we don’t have enough systems in place and even legislation in place to activate for quick response. As for this case, people were confused on whom to contact, EMA or the police,” said Mr Marongwe.
Manager of Borewell Transport Company Mr Wellington Bikiti said he did not know how much fuel the driver was carrying, but estimated it to be around 10 000 litres.
“I was called yesterday and told that my truck was leaking. The delivery was destined for Gloo Southerton. About 8 000 to 10 000 litres were estimated to have been in the tank as I hadn’t seen the papers. The incident happened at 6pm and the driver was slightly affected by the diesel and cannot be reached on his phones. They were also affected by the diesel whilst trying to contain the spillage,” said Mr Bikiti.
By the time the Herald visited the place yesterday, EMA and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development officials were busy putting up warning signs for the benefit of motorists as they cleaned up the stretch of the road.
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