At least 64 people sustained various degrees of injuries after a fuel tanker exploded in Kano state on Saturday evening.
The tanker exploded into flames while offloading fuel at Al-Hisan filing station located at Ali Gusau Street, Sharada area of Kano metropolis.
Among the casualties were personnel of Kano State Fire Service who had responded to the distress call.
According to reports, many of the victims were onlookers who gathered to watch as the fire brigade battled the inferno before the tanker eventually exploded.
Though no loss of life was reported, at least 64 people involved are receiving treatment at Murtala Mohammed Specialists’ Hospital.
Spokesman of Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusuf Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident, said eight personnel of the Service were part of the 64 victims.
On his part, the state commissioner for Works, Idris Unguwar Rimi attributed the incident to negligence of the station.
He said in view of the prevailing temperature of over 40 degrees in the state, the station should not have offloaded the product at daytime.
Rimi stated;
Everyone knows it is against the law to offload fuel at daytime, especially at the prevailing temperature.
He said the state government is taking good care of the hospitalized victims.
