Panic as fire Guts Filling Station in Abuja

There was pandemonium as commuters and passersby along the Murtala Muhammed Expressway, popularly known as Kubwa Express were on Thursday evening thrown into confusion after the Mainland Filling Station near the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) went up in flames.

There was greater apprehension among residents of the area as the affected filling station shares a fence with a cooking gas station, Samolad.

At the time of filing this report, firefighters were trying to contain the fire and ensure that it did not spread into the gas station.

Eyewitnesses told The Nation that the fire started when a tanker began discharging fuel at about 4:30 pm.

Commuters and passers-by were thrown into confusion as the heat of the flame could be felt up to a kilometre from the station.

The filling station which is adjacent to an emergency station of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is also close to the Kubwa station of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service domiciled in the PSIN.

Emergency responders and firefighters are currently at the scene battling the fire while security personnel have also cordoned off the area, with traffic restricted to the speed lane of the 10-lane expressway.

At about 5:30 pm a firefighting truck of the Federal Fire Service which had exhausted its water was seen driving out for a refill.

The firefighters were still battling to put off the fire.

Security operatives, especially the police, were also at the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order.