One person has lost his life while over 70 motorcycles destroyed by fire accident at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC mega station in Dandagoro area of Katsina state.
Several people were also injured by the fire while others were wounded during the stampede.
Checks by 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE showed that the fire didn’t do much damage on the facilities of the station but the barricades have all burnt as well some of the empty kerosene pumps.
The fire accident occurred around 4pm Thursday evening.
An accountant at the station, who craved for anonymity said management all NNPC staff and facilities are safe.
“As I told you, the fire accident was caused by a careless motorcyclist who after buying fuel decided to follow the IN gate instead of the Exit gate. His carelessness led to the fire because as he tried to make his way out of the barricade gate made for those coming in, hos motorcycle fall down while his tank cover was loose. Another motorcyclist trying to enter the station caught fire instantly,” he said.
The accountant said they were informed yesterday night that one of the motorcyclists at the scene lost his life after he was rushed to the hospital. However, the identity of the dead was not revealed.
An eye witness, Abubakar Shehu, said he was in his car when the fire accident occurred.
“I was sitting in my car waiting for my turn when the fire accident occurred. I can’t say exactly what happened, but whatever it’s, the carelessness of the gate attendants can’t be rule out because there were many motorcycles on both the gates trying to enter. The queues are also too long and the place congested, so these things are bound to happen.
This reporter was at the station Friday morning but the station was closed. The fuel attendants met refused to talk. The station’s manager’s phone number, as given by the attendants, was unreachable.
Theacting Comptroller of the Katsina office of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (formerly DPR) Yahaya Ibrahim, didn’t respond to SMS sent to him on the fire accident.
Fuel stations in Katsina metropolis especially have witnessed long queues for more than three weeks occasioned by fuel scarcity. Number of filling stations selling fuel to motorists also keep reducing which makes the stations with fuel availability to be congested.
