One person has been confirmed dead after a fire outbreak hit an engine oil depot in Kano. Several buildings housing the facility were also destroyed by the raging fire. The depot located at Hotoro Eastern by-pass is suspected to be a warehouse where adulterated fuel is being stored.
Eyewitnesses who preferred not be named said the fire started at about 10:45 after a petrol tanker was parked inside the depot which also served as a garage.
“Normally the people use this place to adulterate engine oil. they store it inside different water tanks and after selling it, they bring another one,” the said.
The eyewitness added that they do not know what caused a spark leading to the fire but said the fire had killed one person and destroyed several houses. Firefighters from the state fire service rushed to the scene to put out the fire as residents of the area fled for safety.
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One of the residents, Sani Shitu, who knew the victim said the deceased was not dealing in engine oil but worked as a crane vehicle assistant. And that he was invited to lift a petrol tank for repair before the eventual fire.
“We were sitting here this morning when his driver called him for this job and usually before they lift a petrol tank with crane, they must wash properly to ensure that there is no petrol but this one I guess they didn’t wash it before they lifted which perhaps led to the fire,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Kano State Fire Service Saminu Abdullahi said the fire started while the engine oil was being uploaded into smaller tanks.
“One person died on the spot but we were able to put out the fire before it could cause further damage to the neighbouring houses,” Abdullahi said.
