Kano Fire Service confirms three deaths in separate outbreaks

Three people have lost their lives and another was injured in two unrelated fire incidents that occurred in Kano State on Friday, the State Fire Service has confirmed.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Service’s spokesperson, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, said the first emergency involved a petrol tanker carrying 30,000 litres of fuel which overturned and exploded at Kura Market Junction on the Zaria Road around 1:30 p.m.

The tanker, registered as NGZ 250 XA, was said to have struck a motorcyclist before bursting into flames. A retired Civil Defence officer, Danlami Muhammad, alerted the fire service, prompting the swift deployment of an emergency team from the headquarters.

“When our team arrived, the tanker was completely ablaze. Four people were involved. Three were found unconscious and later confirmed dead, while the motorcyclist survived the incident,” the statement said.

Firefighters, assisted by police officers and personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps, eventually brought the fire under control. The bodies of the victims were handed over to ASP Ahmad Lawan of the Kura Police Division. Two fire engines—one from the headquarters and another from Kura station—were used in the operation.

The cause of the accident is still being determined.

A second fire incident was recorded about an hour later at Hamisu Plaza on Maiduguri Road in Taruni Local Government Area. By the time fire crews reached the scene at approximately 2:45 p.m., the upper floor of the two-storey commercial building was already engulfed.

Three shops were completely gutted, though firefighters managed to prevent the flames from spreading to other parts of the building. A fire engine stationed at the ongoing trade fair responded to the call.

The cause of the blaze at the plaza is also being investigated.

The Director of the Fire Service, Alhaji Sani Anas, advised residents to take greater care in handling fire during the harmattan season and urged motorists to obey traffic regulations to avoid preventable disasters.

Kano State has recorded several recent fire tragedies. Nine days ago, four members of the same family died in a house fire at Kundila Layin Baba Impossible in Tarauni LGA. Earlier this month, another major blaze destroyed at least 25 temporary shops and 19 stores at Singer Market in Kano metropolis.