A heavy-duty tanker filled with fuel exploded on Sunday night while offloading its contents at a fuel station in Kontagora, sparking fears of major casualties.
The incident occurred at a fuel station belonging to a prominent marketer, located just metres from the ‘B’ Division of the Nigeria Police in Kontagora Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses reported that the explosion took place during the offloading of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
The blast created a massive inferno, and there were immediate concerns about the presence of other fuel storage tanks at the station, which still contained fuel, raising fears of a potential escalation of the disaster.
Kuma Tsukwam, the Niger State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, spoke to press on Monday, March 24, confirming that the situation was swiftly contained by his team.
“Our personnel were able to nip it in the bud. It happened inside the petrol station, and we quickly cordoned off the area, preventing any casualties,” he said.
Tsukwam noted that while the explosion caused a large fire, the safety measures in place helped avert a much worse disaster.
He also highlighted concerns about the station’s lack of proper safety valves and measures.
“There was no casualty, but it burst into flames. Our main concern was the lack of safety measures, but we ensured no one was allowed to enter the station, keeping both passersby and vehicles away from the area.”
Despite the alarming nature of the explosion, the quick response prevented any fatalities, but Tsukwam stressed the importance of stricter safety precautions at fuel stations to avoid similar incidents in the future.
