AT least three persons have allegedly lost their lives as a result of an industrial fire that gutted BUA cement factory in Sokoto, on Friday.
Sunday Tribune gathered that the incident started on Friday morning and the inferno was still on while combined teams of federal and state fire service officers were at the scene to salvage properties and inspect damaged equipment and other valuables.
Interim situation information gathered by Sunday Tribune indicated that the inferno was suspected to be caused by an offloading fuel tanker.
A source who spoke to Sunday Tribune said that a worker was repairing the stationed tank when the explosion occurred.
According to the source, three persons died and many others sustained injuries as result of the incident, which overpowered company’s safety officers and lasted for hours.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
In his reaction when contacted, the Prevention Officer of State Fire Service, Mr Nuhu Lawal, confirmed the incident, noting that mobilised teams, as well as fire fighting equipment, had been conveyed to salvage the situation.
Lawal declined further comments stressing that the combined teams were still making efforts to stop the ravaging fire.
Meanwhile, an official of the Federal Fire Service, Mr Umar Nura-Sifawa, who was also present at the scene said it was an oil fire that usually takes a longer period to extinguish.
Nura-Sifawa said teams made frantic efforts to stop the fire from escalating to other areas.
and then