By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo, KADUNA

No fewer than 20 people were injured when a fuel tanker exploded in Rigasa community of Kaduna on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, firefighters and vigilante members were among the injured. They were trying to put off the fire when they got injured.

The tanker was offloading fuel at the filling station when it suddenly exploded, throwing the entire community into fear and confusion.

Journalists were told that the injured included five firefighters and operatives of the Kaduna State Vigilante Service. Others were persons who stood close to the fuel station to watch the inferno.

Kaduna State Director of Fire Service, Mr. Paul Aboi, said his men who were injured were rushed to a specialist hospital for treatment.

He accused the management of the affected fuel station of negligence.

According to him, it was wrong for the filling station to offload petrol in the afternoon.

He added that the right thing to do was to offload the fuel at night. This was to avoid endangering the lives of people in the process.

A woman said that the fire had affected their family home close to the filling station.

She added that her brother and his son were in critical condition due to the severe burns from the explosion.

The Kaduna Police Command was yet to react to the incident.

Vanguard News