Panic in Abuja as two fuel tanker explodes.

A tanker explosion in the capital city centre creates confusion.

A tanker belonging to the Ascon filling station on Adetokunbo Ademola, Wuse 2 in Abuja caught fire while discharging fuel on Wednesday afternoon.  

However, the tanker driver’s act of courage saved not only the filling but the shopping malls beside the filling station.

According to the tanker driver he was discharging fuel at the third underground tank when he noticed the fire, he manoeuvred the tanker onto Adetokunbo Ademola Road to avoid the further destruction of life and property.

The incident caused panic amongst several residents who thought it was a bomb explosion.  Some of the bystanders spoken to were unanimous in their condemnation of the poor response to emergency services in the city citing the fact that the first ambulance arrived 45 minutes after the incident and the four fire trucks that came did not have the capacity to fight the fire for more than two hours.

The sole casualty of the fire was rushed to the hospital. The fire was still raging as at press time.