The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed two separate incidents that claimed three lives and destroyed property on Friday, following a tanker crash in Kura and a fire outbreak at a commercial plaza in Tarauni.
READ ALSO: Kano Fire Service saves 12 persons, N130m property in one month
In a statement signed by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, the Fire Service said the first incident occurred around 1:30pm when a tanker laden with 30,000 litres of petrol fell and went up in flames at the Kura market junction along Zaria Road. The alert, according to the statement, was raised by a retired Civil Defence officer, Danlami Muhammad.
Firefighters from the headquarters were deployed to the scene, where they discovered that the fallen tanker, with registration number NGZ 250 XA, had hit a cyclist before bursting into flames. Four people were affected; three were found unconscious and later confirmed dead, while the cyclist escaped with his life.
Emergency responders worked alongside police and road safety officials to contain the situation. The victims were handed over to ASP Ahmad Lawan of the Kura Police Division. Two fire trucks from the state headquarters and the Kura station were used in the operation. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
The second incident was reported at about 2:45pm when Fire Assistant Ahmad Gwangwazo alerted the control room to a blaze at Hamisu Plaza on Maiduguri Road in Tarauni Local Government Area.
Officials said the fire engulfed part of a two-storey commercial building measuring roughly 200 by 200 feet. Three shops on the upper floor were destroyed, while two others were spared. Firefighters succeeded in preventing the blaze from spreading to the remaining shops on both floors. A fire truck stationed at the ongoing trade fair also responded to the emergency. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
The agency’s director, Alhaji Sani Anas, appealed to residents to exercise caution, especially during the harmattan season, and urged motorists to obey traffic rules to prevent avoidable disasters.
