Abuja filling station fire under control — Police

Following a fire incident at the Mainland Filling Station along the Murtala Muhammed Expressway, popularly known as Kubwa Express, Thursday evening, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police, has assured that the situation has been put under control.

Tribune Online reports that commuters along the Murtala Muhammed Expressway were thrown into confusion after the fuel station near the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) went up in flames on Thursday.

Commuters and residents of the area panicked as the affected filling station shares a fence with a cooking gas station, Samolad, and the heat of the flame could be felt up to a kilometre from the station.

However, FCT Police Command, in a statement on Thursday, assured commuters and residents of the area that the situation has been put under control.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, quoted the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, as saying: “In response to the fire outbreak at Mainland oil and gas filling station in Kubwa, Abuja, earlier today, July 11, 2024, at about 05:30 p.m., the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, swiftly mobilised police patrol teams from Kubwa division and personnel of PMF 50 alongside operatives of the Federal Fire Service to the scene to possibly rescue victims, extinguish the fire, and protect other assets of the filling station from being engulfed.

“While no fatalities were recorded, preliminary investigation revealed that a tanker discharging fuel actually caught fire, but with the combined effort of the police operatives, fire service personnel, and members of the public, the fire was extinguished even though the tanker got burned completely.

“While the cause of the fire outbreak is yet to be ascertained, the situation is now very much under control, as the fire has been extinguished.

“Further development will be communicated in due course.”

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