Gunmen rob, channa-bomb Eccles gas station
Neighbour averts disaster
Stabroek News
January 10, 2003
A gang of ten heavily armed bandits robbed the Two Brothers Service Station at Eccles on the East Bank Demerara early yesterday morning before setting it on fire with several channa bombs.
The attack which occurred just after 1 am yesterday morning left two pumps badly burned, a glass door shattered and a fan destroyed. An undisclosed sum of money was also taken. The attack was similar to the one on Kaieteur News which resulted in the torching of its press.
Proprietor of the service station, Shairaz Alli told Stabroek News a supervisor, three pump attendants and a security guard were on the premises at the time.
He was made to understand the bandits barged into the station carrying guns and channa bombs. They first took the money from a drawer in the café and then herded the employees to the back of the station making them lie flat on the ground after relieving them of their cash.
The bandits then threw two channa bombs at the fan, one in the office, four in the cafe and two in each petrol pump situated at the front of the station.
Alli said that the damage would have been much worse had it not been for the automatic shutdown system in the pumps which prevented the overflow of gasoline. The quick response of a neighbour also prevented disaster.
When contacted the neighbour related that he was awake at the time and heard the glass breaking. Upon looking through his window he saw the gas station engulfed in flames.
According to him he single-handedly put out the fire with the use of two fire extinguishers.
He said the bandits and employees had already fled the premises when he got there. He noted that the fire brigade had responded promptly when he called them but was not of much assistance since the fire was already out.
The neighbour revealed that though he was in fear for his life he was more concerned about his house and adjoining houses in close proximity.
Ali noted he has been robbed twice but this was the first time his building was set on fire.
The business was closed yesterday but he hopes to reopen it on Saturday.
The police public relations department said police on the scene had recovered a few channa bombs not used and are pursuing leads from there. A similar attack occurred in December when armed gunmen burned the Kaieteur News printery in Eccles.
