Tragedy reared its ugly head in Niger State as another gas tanker exploded in Sabon Wuse, Tafa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
The tanker explosion caused unimaginable destruction of several vehicles, shops, and foodstuffs in the area with business owners counting their losses.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, said no lives were lost, but added that the destruction was heavy and extensive.
The incident, which occurred around 11 p.m. on Saturday, happened when the gas tanker was offloading at a local filling station.
The noise of the blast, witnesses said, was also extensive, sending shockwaves through the community, as residents panic.
Similarly, the fire from the fire explosion quickly spread, engulfing a nearby petrol station and several ither shops and parked vehicles.
According to one of the residents at Sabon Wuse, Musa Aliyu, the scene was terrifying.
He said, “The fire was so intense that its flames could be seen from different parts of the town. People ran out of their homes in fear. We thank Allah that no one was injured, but the destruction is huge.”
The late arrival of firefighters after several hours appeared to have made the fire to cause extensive damage in the area..
Residents in the state have again called on the state government to implement stricter safety regulations for gas and petrol stations to prevent similar disasters in the future.
