A fuel-laden tanker erupted in flames at the A.A. Rano filling station in Hannun Riga, near the General Hospital in Kontagora, the headquarters of the Kontagora Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.
The filling station is situated just a few metres from the ‘B’ Division of the Nigeria Police in Kontagora.
Sources indicate that the incident occurred around 7pm on Sunday while Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, was being offloaded from the tanker.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Trust by telephone that the fire broke out during the offloading process, with other fuel storage tanks on-site still full, raising concerns about a potential escalation.
“Fire Service personnel are currently working tirelessly to contain the blaze, but the situation remains tense as the flames continue to spread,” reported Abba Mohammed, one of the witnesses.
He stated that fortunately, no casualties had been recorded, but many people, including passersby, fled in panic to save their lives.
Attempts to reach Abdullah Baba Arah, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency for a comment, were unsuccessful as his phone line was unreachable.
