A petrol tanker exploded within the premises of a filling station in Umuahia, capital of Abia State, on Saturday morning.
Residents of Aba road in the state capital woke up to huge smoke billowing from the station, which is reportedly owned by a serving minister.
Though the cause of the inferno is unknown, the fire has lasted for over two hours, with little or no impact from the state fire service.
The filling station is situated close to some residential buildings along Aba road and few meters away from the city center.
Many residents were seen with buckets of water while supporting efforts of firefighters to contain the inferno.
Residents of Umuahia, the Abia State capital, scampered for safety on Saturday morning when a diesel-laden tanker exploded in a petrol filling station identified as Master Energy.
It was gathered that the tanker was discharging disel to the underground tank within the filling station when fire was noticed under the truck and shortly after, the tanker was engulfed by fire.
See photos below:
