Fire causes extensive damage at filling station

A Vhembe businessman is still counting his losses, after a mysterious fire torched a vehicle at his business before destroying a petrol pump at his filling station.

The fire burnt a client's car and a pump, but it is still a miracle that the other fully loaded petrol tanks did not exlode. The incident happened last Saturday.

Businessman Silas Rashaka, who owns Total Hollywood Motors in Thohoyandou, said he sees the hand of God and His angels protecting his business and staff from what could have been a major catastrophe.

"I was coming from a funeral at nearby Lwamondo when I received a call that my business was on fire. As my wife was driving, I closed my eyes and started praying that God would protect the property," said Rashaka.

He said the tanks were loaded with many thousands of litres of petrol and he knew that if they exploded, many people would lose their lives. "So many things came to my mind, but I told myself that I had to seek protection from God. I prayed for a long time, and when I reached the garage, the fire was still raging," he said.

He said people were running away, fearing that it could explode, but there was a certain Mr Netshimbupfe from the Vhembe Fire Services who risked his life and extinguished the fire before it could spread all over the premises. "I thank God for having saved my business and my staff. I suffered damage worth nearly R600 000, but I think it is minimal compared to what would have happened, had the whole business caught fire," he said.

Ms Maria Rashaka, a manager at the filling station, said they were busy assisting clents at about 13:00 when a motorist arrived in an old model BMW. “The man opened the bonnet of his car and it seems he was trying to fix a problem when, all of a sudden, a fire broke out,” she said.