Three people have died while another escaped with injuries in two separate fire incidents that occurred in Kano State on Friday, the Kano State Fire Service has confirmed.
In a statement released on Saturday and signed by its Public Relations Officer, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, the agency provided details of the incidents.
The first incident took place around 1:30 pm at the Kura Market junction along Zaria Road, when a petrol tanker carrying 30,000 litres of fuel overturned and exploded. The tanker, with registration number NGZ 250 XA, reportedly knocked down a cyclist before bursting into flames.
According to the statement, the Emergency Response Unit was alerted by a retired Civil Defence officer, Danlami Muhammad, leading to the immediate deployment of firefighters from the service 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 said.
Firefighters, assisted by police and FRSC personnel, were able to contain the blaze and handed over the bodies to ASP Ahmad Lawan of the Kura Police Division.
Two fire trucks, one from the headquarters and another from Kura station, were deployed to the scene. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The second incident occurred later on the same day, at about 2:45 pm, when a fire broke out at Hamisu Plaza on Maiduguri Road in Taruni Local Government Area. By the time firefighters arrived, the upper floor of the two-storey commercial building was already ablaze.
Three shops were destroyed in the fire, while firefighters successfully saved the remaining shops on the ground and first floors. A fire truck stationed at the ongoing trade fair responded to the emergency.
