A tragic incident struck Tafa town, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Friday when a tanker truck exploded, claiming the life of a 28-year-old welder, Kabir Usman.

According to eyewitnesses, Kabir was carrying out repairs inside the tanker’s compartment when it suddenly exploded, sparking a massive fire that raged for nearly 30 minutes.

A resident, Ahmad Bunkau, who was preparing for Juma’at prayers nearby, recalled the terrifying moment:

“I was sitting inside a mosque when I heard a loud explosion just after 12 pm. When I rushed outside, I saw flames shooting into the sky, followed by continuous explosions. It took volunteers half an hour before the fire was finally brought under control.”

Efforts to get firefighters from Sabon-Wuse town in Niger State proved unsuccessful, as officials on duty reportedly declined to respond, citing jurisdiction issues since the incident occurred in Kaduna.

The explosion also caused panic at the nearby police division, with several officers initially mistaking it for a bomb attack. They later joined volunteers, led by their Divisional Police Officer (DPO), SP Ibrahim Idris, to help put out the fire.

Sadly, Kabir did not survive the blast. His remains were taken to the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Memorial Hospital in Sabon-Wuse.

The tragedy has left the community in shock, highlighting once again the dangers welders and artisans face while working on highly combustible materials like fuel tankers.