No fewer than 17 tricycles and two petrol tankers were destroyed following two separate fire outbreaks at filling stations in Kano State on Tuesday.
The Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the incidents in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to him, the first fire occurred at AA Ayagi filling station in Kanye village along Gwarzo Road, Kabo Local Government Area, at about 8:45pm.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
He explained that firefighters from the Rijiyar Zaki division were immediately mobilised to the scene, where they found a petrol tanker on fire while offloading Premium Motor Spirit.
“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.
Abdullahi noted that two compartments of the tanker had already been discharged into an underground tank, while three remaining compartments containing about 5,000 litres of petroleum products were being offloaded when the fire started, leading to the complete destruction of the tanker.
He said the second incident occurred at Al-Wahida Nigeria Limited petrol filling station at Rimin Kebe Karshen Kwalta in Nassarawa Local Government Area.
According to him, a petrol tanker belonging to BA Bello Company, carrying about 45,000 litres of petroleum products, caught fire during offloading.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the fire was eventually contained, preventing further damage, while part of the petroleum products and sections of the tanker body were saved.
Meanwhile, another fire incident at Kundila Quarters near SALSA College destroyed one room, one toilet and a corridor in a residential building in the area.
The Director of the Kano State Fire Service, Sani Anas, urged filling station operators and fuel tanker drivers to strictly comply with safety regulations during fuel offloading and the handling of flammable materials.
