Three people have died and one person was injured in two separate fire incidents in Kano State on Friday, according to the Kano State Fire Service.
The agency confirmed the incidents in a statement released on Saturday by its Public Relations Officer, Saminu Yusif Abdullahi.
The first incident happened around 1:30pm when a petrol tanker carrying 30,000 litres of fuel fell and exploded at the Kura Market junction along Zaria Road.
The tanker, with registration number NGZ 250 XA, reportedly hit a cyclist before bursting into flames.
According to the statement, a retired Civil Defence officer, Danlami Muhammad, made a distress call that prompted firefighters to move in from the service headquarters.
It said, “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.”
Firefighters, with the help of the police and the FRSC, put out the fire. The bodies were handed over to ASP Ahmad Lawan of the Kura Police Division. Two fire trucks were deployed for the operation.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
The second incident occurred around 2:45pm when a fire broke out at Hamisu Plaza on Maiduguri Road in Taruni Local Government Area.
The upper floor of the two-storey building was already burning when firefighters arrived. Three shops were destroyed, while the remaining shops on the ground and first floors were saved. A fire truck stationed at the ongoing trade fair responded to the call.
The fire service said the cause of the plaza fire is also under investigation.
The agency’s Director, Sani Anas, urged residents to be careful with fire, especially during the harmattan season. He also asked motorists to follow traffic rules to prevent such incidents.
Nine days earlier, four members of a family were burnt to death in a house fire at Kundila Layin Baba Impossible in Tarauni Local Government Area. On November 11, about 25 temporary shops and 19 stores were also destroyed in a fire at Singer Market in Kano.
