Bamako’s Narrow Escape: A Wake-Up Call on Fuel Station Safety
Bamako’s recent gas station fire was a near-miss that exposes a systemic failure: despite existing 1990 and 2018 regulations mandating safety distances, equipment, and environmental permits, enforcement is so weak that the city remains at constant risk of a catastrophic explosion. The core problem is not a lack of rules but a complete absence of audits and controls, rendering even basic prohibitions like "no phones" absurd when mobile payments are conducted at the pump. To prevent the next inevitable disaster, every station must be immediately audited, with dangerous installations either brought into compliance or shut down. Ultimately, the article argues that relying on luck instead of rigorous public policy is an unacceptable gamble with human lives.
