Fire guts Shema filling station in Abuja

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 Fire on Wednesday gutted the expansive Shema petrol filling station located along Kubwa Expressway in Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), reports.

The incident, which occurred around 4.30 pm, hit three petrol dispensing pumps, some offices and the main building.

Confirming the incident, Mr Segun Akinmola, Head of Operations, FCT Fire Service, said that firemen were promptly deployed to the scene immediately the report was received.

“Our men rushed to the scene early and were able to control the fire,” he told NAN.

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According to him, preliminary investigation has revealed that the fire resulted from the discharge of fuel “in the hot afternoon under a hot weather, which is wrong”.

“We have advised fuel marketers not to discharge fuel in the afternoon; the  best time for that activity is in the evening or early hours of the morning.”

Akinnola said that there was no casualty “even though the staff did not call on time”.

“We shall continue our investigation; we shall get to the root of this incident,” he said.

Mr Joe Uhunmwangho, Asst. Commandant, Disaster and Rescue Department of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), told NAN that his unit responded immediately it got a call from a passerby.

“We collaborated with other agencies – Fire Service, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Police and Road Safety Corps – to bring the fire under control,” he told NAN.

Uhunmwangho said that the discharge point was close to the building, which got the building affected by the fire.

The Chairman of the fuel station, Alhaji Mamman Nagoggo, told NAN that fire outbreaks were not entirely new to fuel filling stations.

“Such incidents occur very often in the oil and gas business. I thank God that no life was lost,” he said. (NAN)

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