No fewer than three persons died, while one other escaped with injuries, in a tanker explosion and a fire incident recorded in Kano State on Friday, according to the Kano State Fire Service.
The incidents were confirmed by the agency in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, the Public Relations Officer.
The tanker explosion happened on Friday, around 1:30 p.m., when a petrol tanker carrying 30,000 gallons of fuel crashed and exploded at the Kura Market crossroads on Zaria Road.
The tanker, registered NGZ 250 XA, apparently knocked down a bicycle before catching fire.
According to the statement, the Emergency Response Unit got a distress call from former Civil Defence officer Danlami Muhammad, resulting in the quick deployment of firefighters from the agency headquarters.
“On arrival, our men found the tanker fully engulfed in flames. Four people were affected; three were rescued unconscious and later confirmed dead, while the cyclist survived,” the statement added.
Firefighters, assisted by police and FRSC officers, extinguished the fire and turned over the remains to ASP Ahmad Lawan of the Kura Police Division.
Two fire trucks were dispatched, one from the headquarters and one from the Kura station.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
The second incident occurred on the same day, around 2:45pm, when a fire broke out at Hamisu Plaza on Maiduguri Road in Taruni LGA.
The upper floor of the two-story business structure was already on fire when firefighters arrived.
Three businesses were demolished, but the crew was able to salvage the remaining establishments on the first and ground floors.
A fire truck stationed at the current trade show reacted to the emergency.
According to the statement, the cause of the plaza fire is also under investigation.
The agency’s director, Alhaji Sani Anas, encouraged locals to be cautious when dealing with fire, particularly during the harmattan season, and motorists to follow traffic laws to avoid preventable deaths.
