Abuja Filling Station Explosion: Residents Count Losses As Access Restricted

Residents in the Apo Bridge area of Abuja are counting their losses after an explosion rocked the Shafa Filling Station, located near the Rita Lori Hotel in Garki, at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Thursday.

According to residents whose homes were affected, the incident occurred while a fuel tanker was discharging petrol into the station’s underground storage tank.

Although the exact cause of the fire has yet to be determined, eyewitnesses said the tanker exploded during the fuel discharge process, sending flames into nearby buildings and triggering panic among residents and motorists.

Several residents said the intensity of the blaze caused the roofs of nearby houses to catch fire, forcing families to evacuate their homes as the flames spread.

A car parked at the entrance of the filling station was also completely engulfed by the fire.

Officials of the Federal Fire Service and the FCT Fire Service responded to the emergency and battled the flames. At the same time, police officers cordoned off the area and restricted public access to facilitate rescue operations and investigations.

As of Friday, the filling station remained inaccessible, with security personnel maintaining a cordon around the scene.

No casualties or fatalities have been officially confirmed, while authorities are yet to determine the exact cause of the explosion or issue a formal statement on the incident.