Petrol, diesel storage tanks explode in Niger

By Ijeoma Okigbo

A fire outbreak on Monday engulfed a building in Javino, an area of Gauraka in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger.

Some eyewitnesses told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the inferno was caused by activities at the building where fuel was stored illegally.

With fuel scarcity in the country, the owner of the goods was said to also store diesel in tanks for sale to customers as ‘black market’.

According to eyewitness, the owner at about 6:35am attempted to use a pumping machine to fill an iron keg leading to the fire outbreak.

The fire rose to consume other tanks containing fuel and diesel, a few shops around and the roof of a building under construction.

After about 30 minutes of inferno, the Niger State Fire Service arrived at the scene to salvage the situation but ran out of water shortly after.

A private organisation, Empire Energy Limited that was close by, were alerted and arrived with their fire truck and helped quench the fire completely.

Linda Albert, one of the eyewitnesses, wants the dealers of such goods taken away from residential area.

“Early this morning, we heard fire and we came out it was really a bad sight but we thank God that the fire is out.