A petroleum and cooking gas filling station along the Bukuru Expressway in Jos, the Plateau State capital, was gutted by fire on Thursday morning, sparking panic among residents and motorists in the area.
The filling station, located close to the Jos South Local Government Secretariat, was reportedly engulfed by flames that began around a major underground petroleum discharge tank, raising fears of a wider explosion.
Eyewitnesses said there was no immediate presence of firefighters at the early stage of the incident, as station workers were seen making frantic attempts to control the blaze.
“We suddenly noticed fire at the filling station popularly known as Chill Cherry this morning,” said a passer-by, who identified himself as Maman.
Customers and passers-by reportedly fled the scene for safety, particularly due to the presence of a cooking gas outlet within the premises.
A customer who escaped the area said he sighted two emergency response vehicles heading toward the scene at high speed, expressing hope that the fire would be swiftly contained.
“I saw two emergency responder vehicles rushing to the area, and I believe this shows improved coordination between federal and state fire services in protecting lives and property,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Federal Fire Service in Plateau State, CSF EE Anzolo, said personnel of the Plateau State Fire Service were already on the ground to manage the situation.
As of the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.
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