The second such incident in less than a fortnight at the country’s main harbour recently acquired by Global port operator DP World
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun- A container full of acids caught fire at the Port of Berbera only put off without much damage by the Berbera local council fire brigade.
According to the Sahil Regional Governor Jama Yusuf Ahmed, the fire was as a result of high temperatures said to have reached 49° F, thence igniting the battery access stored in the container that was among others awaiting dispatch to destination upon offload adding.
Speak my to journalist Khadar Abdi Muse of Dawan media group, the regional administrator who confirmed that the fire was extinguished before any damage to human or equipment within the port also informed that a person acting as agent to the shipper of the container is being detained by police.
“An shipping agent has been detained by police in Berbera for questioning in relation to failure of covering the container with tarpaulins is norms” said the regional admin traitor
In elaboration to the arrest governor Jama Yusuf said that due to regular high temperatures prevalent within Berbera, among one of the hottest port on earth, it is a requirement that containers awaiting dispatch to final destination must be covered with a tarpaulin thence lessen heat intensity and subsequently avert disasters like the current one.
The government of Somaliland relinquished management of the port to DP World an Emirati owned following agreement with government of the United Arab Emirates worth $422 for a period of 30 years.
Though DP World is a port operator of global repute it is difficult to fathom why such fires at the port this being the second are not prevented not to mention that the local municipality’s fire brigade was called to action seemingly due to the absence of such services put in place by DP World.
On the same safety measures thought to must have been of prime importance it is worth mentioning that during its long tenure as operator the government of Somaliland devoid of world class port management skills or equipment was able to protect against such now regular fires. It also had a functioning fire fighting service composed of one truck which appears to be not in service for reasons known to current operators
During the first post DP World management fire at the port of Berbera containers later said to be full of hides and skills no chemical caught fire only to be put off courtesy of fire fighting services from the Oil terminal and local council
Watch clip of the
