Panic as petrol tanker explosion sparks fire at A.A. Rano filling station

A petrol-laden tanker burst into flames on Sunday evening at the A.A. Rano filling station in Hannun Riga, near the General Hospital in Kontagora, the headquarters of Kontagora Local Government Area in Niger State.

The station, located just a few meters from the ‘B’ Division of the Nigeria Police in Kontagora, caught fire while Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, was being offloaded from the tanker around 7 p.m.,causing panic in the area.

According to a report by Daily Trust, the blaze erupted during the offloading process, raising concerns about a possible escalation as other fuel storage tanks at the station still contained petrol.

“Fire Service personnel are currently doing their best to contain the fire, though the situation remained tense as the fire continued to spread,” said Abba Mohammed, one of the witnesses.

He added that no casualties had been reported, but the incident triggered panic as people, including passersby, fled the area.

Efforts to reach the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullah Baba Arah, for comments were unsuccessful as his phone line was unreachable.