No fewer than seventeen tricycles and two petrol tankers were destroyed following two separate fire outbreaks at filling stations in Kano State on Tuesday.
The Public Relations Officer, Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday.
Abdullahi said the first incident happened at AA Ayagi filling station, Kanye village, along Gwarzo road in Kabo LGA of the state, around 8:45 pm.
He stated, “Our control room received a distress call at about 20:45 hours from one of our staff, Muhammad Wada Abdulsalam, reporting an outbreak of fire at AA AYAGI Filling Station, Gwarzo Road.
“Our men from Rijiyar Zaki division mobilised to the scene of the incident and on their arrival, they found a fuel tanker containing PMS with registration number XPB 999 FA, owned by AA Ayagi Company, on fire while offloading petrol.”
He said at the time of the incident, two compartments had already been discharged into an underground tank, while three remaining compartments, containing approximately 5,000 litres of petroleum products, were in the process of being offloaded, adding that the inferno completely destroyed the tanker truck.
He said the second incident happened at Al-Wahida Nigeria Limited petrol filling station at Rimin Kebe Karshen Kwalta, Nassarawa LGA, where a petrol tanker belonging to BA Bello Company with registration number KHX 29 XA, carried about 45,000 litres of petroleum products.
“The fire which started during the offloading of the product, destroyed the tanker truck head and part of the tanker body, and 17 tricycle machines (Adaidaita sahu) were completely burnt,” he said.
He said it was by God’s intervention that the fire was contained and prevented from further spread and a portion of the petroleum products, as well as parts of the tanker body, were saved.
Meanwhile, another fire incident at Kundila Quarters, near SALSA College, has destroyed one room, one toilet, and one corridor at a residential building in the area.
The Director of the State Fire Service, Sani Anas, urged members of the public, especially operators of filling stations and fuel tanker drivers, to strictly adhere to safety regulations during fuel offloading and handling of flammable materials.
Recall that fire erupted on Sunday morning at the Guangdong Free Trade Zone in Igbesa, Ogun State.
The fire rapidly spread from an industrial facility to adjacent residential areas.
