A fuel pipeline has been vandalised outside a petrol station in Manurewa. Video / Ryan Bridge TODAY
A power cable has been allegedly vandalised outside an Auckland petrol station in a suspected act of sabotage.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand and police responded to the initial report of fuel flowing on Great South Rd in Manurewa and believed a fuel pipe was cut.
Further investigation revealed itwas a power cable with fuel insulation as a coolant that was apparently vandalised.
Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said police are speaking with two people as part of their inquiries.
“At around 6.30am Police were made aware of a potential gas leak at a service station on Great South Road, Manurewa.
“Upon arrival it was determined a pipe carrying cooling oil belonging to a lines company had been damaged.”
The emergency response is focused on a bridge outside the U-GO petrol station. However, police “do not believe the pipe is connected to the nearby service stations”.
“At this stage, it would appear that there’s been some sort of, sabotage to the pipeline, and we’re investigating that,” Fire and Emergency NZ assistant commander Chris Delfos said earlier.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand and police responded to the report of fuel flowing on Great South Rd in Manurewa. Photo / Michael Craig
“We don’t know how much fuel has spilled because we don’t know when it started.
“There’s also been a telecom line that has been cut that people got notified about that about 3 o’clock this morning. So it could have been leaking since about that time.”
“It’s very, very dangerous to be attempting to cut into any sort of fuel line. I know things are tight in the fuel industry at the moment and people are paying a lot of money, but it’s not worth your life.”
Emergency services at the scene in Manurewa. Photo / Michael Craig
Traffic is heavy in Manurewa as one lane is closed to allow emergency services to respond to the incident.
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson told the Herald thattwo crews were called to a site near Waiata Shores in Takanini after a 111 call from a member of the public reporting a strong smell of fuel.
Fire and Emergency crews are working to decant fuel into large containers.
The spokesperson saidthe pipe runs alongside a bridge over a waterway and efforts are being made to prevent the fuel from spilling into waterways.
A spokeswoman for nearby petrol station, Gull Takanini, told the Herald she got a phone call from a colleague and then a Fire and Emergency crew member at 7.30am.
“They wanted to see if I had the fuel line logs which I do. I went straight down.”
The vandalised service station U-Go and Gull do not share a pipeline.
