A tanker-laden with fuel has exploded at Sandaji Filling Station located along the Lafia-Jos road in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, destroying property worth over N600 million.
One of the pump attendants, Comfort Igwe, said the explosion happened while a tanker was discharging petroleum products.
When Daily Trust visited the scene, firefighters were working round the clock to bring the fire under control, while security operatives were doing everything humanly possible to control movement of people and vehicles along the Makurdi-Lafia-Jos Road where the filling station was located.
A staff of the filling station who sustained injury from the fire outbreak was rushed to hospital for medical attention.
Acting Director, Nasarawa State Fire Service, Mr. Ombugu Joshua, called on residents of the state to always alert the firefighters on time whenever they experience a fire outbreak for prompt response.
Narrating his ordeal to our correspondent, the owner of the affected filling station, Mr. Aliyu Sandaji, disclosed that the tanker loaded with 28 million litres of premium motor spirit went on flame consuming the entire fuel.
It also burnt down a Hilux vehicle belonging to the company and other properties yet to be identified.
Sandaji, who is the state Chairman of the Independent Petroleum maters Association of Nigeria, however, said no life was lost during the unfortunate incident.
He applauded the Federal Fire Service and other security operatives for their quick response that helped in averting the fire from escalating to other properties around the filling station.