Firefighters and civil protective forces today controlled a fire that erupted after the explosion of a natural gas line at a carrier station in el-Midan village in southwest Arish. The fire took place at the station, which is surrounded by Bedouin houses and some pack animals. The fire injured two residents and the station guard, and the plantings surrounding the station were damaged, reported General Secretary of North Sinai governorate Gaber al-Araby. The fire largely affected poultry and pigeon farms, with all animals dying in the blaze, eyewitnesses reported. The station's guard Mohamed Moussa said he was sitting at the main gate of the station with another guard, Farag Salem, when they saw six masked men cut the barbed wire at the rear of the station. “They seemed to put a bomb somewhere because there was an explosion a few moments later,” Moussa added. The explosion resulting in the severing of the main pumping line to the station. The resulting gas leak fueled the flames of the fire causing it to spread to the station and surrounding areas. Security forces took statements from the guards and eyewitnesses. Some GASCO Company officials are installing new security procedures to prevent more incidents.
