By Chol D. Johnson
A generator technician has died and five others sustained burn injuries following a fire outbreak involving oil tanks in Warrap State.
In an interview with No.1 Citizen Newspaper on Thursday, Warrap State Minister of Information, William Wol Mayom, confirmed that the incident resulted in one fatality and left five people injured.
“The [technician] caught fire and was burned to ashes. Five others were also affected, three sustained very serious burns and were rushed to Wau, while two with minor burns were taken to Wunrok,” Wol said.
According to the Minister, the incident was linked to an overturned oil tanker on a road section between Mayomtotin and Panliet Awan, which had become impassable due to heavy rains. The area had seen a buildup of trucks due to the poor road conditions.
Wol explained that on Wednesday, an oil tanker traveling from Mayomtotin toward Bia overturned in the muddy section of the road.
The owner of the fuel attempted to transfer petrol from the overturned tanker to another using a generator.
During the transfer process, an electrical fault reportedly occurred, causing the generator to catch fire. The flames quickly spread between the two petrol tanks, triggering an explosion.
“One person has been confirmed dead, burned into ashes, while five others are receiving treatment.
Two tanker trucks were also destroyed in the fire,” Wol added.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:00 a.m. on Thursday along the Mayomtotin–Panliet Awan road in Warrap State.
Authorities said the situation is now under control, and the area has been secured following the fire. The state government has also announced plans to rehabilitate the damaged road to prevent similar incidents.
Additionally, the commissioner of Gogrial West County has been directed to lead a delegation to the scene to assess the situation.