A tanker transporting liquefied petroleum gas was reduced into ashes after it burst into flames near Musembe trading center along Eldoret-Webuye highway in Lugari sub county Tuesday night.
According to eyewitnesses the fire started from one of the tyres forcing the driver to stop and tried to extinguish it unsuccessfully.
“It started from one of the tires and the driver decided to park it on the side of the road and came out with a fire extinguisher but he couldn’t put it off,” said the source.
On sensing the beckoning danger, the driver courageously decided to disjoin the truck and drove off the bobtail truck leaving the tanker which later exploded.
A “fire bomb” from the explosion landed in a nearby sugarcane plantation burning a section of it before but was contained by residents.
It took close to one two hours before fire fighters from Uasin Gishu and Kakamega Counties could arrive and put off the deadly fire that had caused a heavy traffic snarl up along the busy highway.
Residents have appealed for a firefighting station to be put in the area for quick response when such incidents occur arguing most of the fire incidents occur along the highway.
“We have seen several lives being lost and property worth millions of shillings destroyed by fire a long this highway as a result of fire resulting from trucks accidents and the firefighters take long to reach the scene from either Eldoret or Kakamega, it’s therefore important for a firefighting station to be put here in Lugari,” they said.
The tanker which was ferrying liquified petroleum gas used in homes and industries for heating and cooking was enroute to Webuye when the accident occurred.
No casualties were reported in the incident.
