A fuel-laden tanker has experienced a devastating explosion at Sandaji Filling Station, situated along the Lafia-Jos road in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State. The explosion resulted in extensive property damage estimated at over N600 million,Daily Tryst reports.
According to Comfort Igwe, one of the pump attendants at the station, the explosion occurred while a tanker was in the process of offloading petroleum products.
Upon our visit to the scene, firefighting teams were diligently working to control the raging fire, and security personnel were making efforts to manage the flow of people and vehicles along the Makurdi-Lafia-Jos Road where the filling station is located.
ALSO READ: Court Disqualifies Sylva From Bayelsa Gov’ship Poll
An employee of the filling station, who sustained injuries in the fire outbreak, was promptly rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.
Mr. Ombugu Joshua, the Acting Director of Nasarawa State Fire Service, urged residents of the state to promptly notify firefighters in case of a fire emergency to ensure swift response.
In a conversation with our correspondent, Mr. Aliyu Sandaji, the proprietor of the affected filling station and also the State Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, revealed that the tanker, carrying 28 million liters of premium motor spirit, erupted in flames, leading to the complete destruction of the fuel and the ignition of a company’s Hilux vehicle and other as-yet-unidentified properties.
Sandaji, however, expressed relief that no lives were lost in this unfortunate incident. He commended the Federal Fire Service and other security forces for their rapid response, which prevented the fire from spreading to neighboring properties around the filling station.
