In the early hours of a seemingly ordinary morning, the tranquil village of Slawkow in southern Poland was jolted awake by a massive fire that engulfed several fuel tanks, Report informs referring to TASS.
The incident, which occurred at the transshipment terminal of the Polish broad-gauge metallurgical railway line (LHS), sent shockwaves through the local community and beyond.
Karol Kezhkowski, the press secretary of the Polish fire service, revealed to Polsat TV that the emergency call came in at 3:56 AM. "We received a message that fuel tanks were burning. In total, there were about 6,000 liters of fuel in the tanks," Kezhkowski stated, highlighting the potential for catastrophe.
Approximately 70 firefighters, armed with 19 pieces of specialized equipment, rushed to the scene. They managed to extinguish the blaze within a few hours, preventing what could have been a far more devastating outcome.
While immediate danger was quelled, Kezhkowski confirmed that several tanks and nearby truck trailers were completely destroyed in the inferno. Fortunately, and perhaps miraculously given the scale of the fire, no injuries were reported.
The fire's location at an LHS terminal adds another layer of significance to the incident. The LHS, a unique broad-gauge railway, stretches from the Ukrainian border city of Hrubieszow to Slawkow. This railway line serves as a crucial conduit for various goods, including: Iron ore, Food and animal feed, Oilseeds, Fruits, Coal, Metal products.
The importance of the LHS to Poland's economy is underscored by recent statistics. In the first five months of this year alone, the railway transported an impressive 3.9 million tons of cargo.