Fire Disaster Averted At NNPC Mega Station

NAN
The timely intervention of officials of Federal and FCT Fire Service averted what would have been a major fire disaster at NNPC Mega Station on Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Central, Abuja on Friday.

An eyewitness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident occurred at 8 a.m. when a petrol tanker carrying fuel fell at the station spilling fuel on the ground.

An eyewitness told NAN that the incident occurred at about 8 a.m. when the driver of the vehicle, with registration number XA 591F SK, was trying to reverse into the station to discharge petrol.

NAN correspondent reports that the vehicle fell into a low area of land beside the station where kerosene is sold to members of the public.

The eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity said, “whether it was as a result of brake failure I don’t know, but the driver lost control of the vehicle.’’

“He was able to jump out before the vehicle fell.

“We thank God that people have not gathered to buy kerosene as at the time of the incident, otherwise, it would have been a different story.’’

NAN further reports that no causality was recorded but the development led to motorists, who queued to buy fuel fleeing the area with their cars for safety.

When NAN visited the scene at about noon, fire fighters and officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were seen trying to remove the vehicle.

Men of the Nigeria Police Force were at the scene to condone off the lane adjoining the station to prevent vehicles from plying the road.

Mr Samuel Ogbonna, the Principal Fire Inspector from the Federal Fire Service, told NAN that the service received distress call at about 8 a.m.

“We arrived few minutes later and as you can see, our men are wetting the truck and the ground it to prevent ignition,’’ he said.

Officials of the NNPC present at the scene declined comment, but one them, who declined to give his identity, said everything was under control.

NAN reports that the incident came barely two months after fire gutted the same filling station on Dec. 19, 2013.

On Dec. 5, 2013, Conoil Filling Station, opposite the NNPC headquarters, Abuja, went up in flames as an articulated vehicle was discharging 33,000 litres of petrol.