The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed two separate fire incidents that occurred on Friday, resulting in casualties and significant property loss. The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its Public Relations Officer, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi.
The first incident happened around 1:30pm when a petrol tanker carrying 30,000 litres of fuel fell and exploded at the Kura Market junction along Zaria Road.
The tanker, with registration number NGZ 250 XA, reportedly knocked down a cyclist before erupting in flames.
According to the statement, the Emergency Response Unit received a distress call from a retired Civil Defence officer, Danlami Muhammad, prompting the immediate deployment of firefighters from the service headquarters.
“On arrival, our men found the tanker fully engulfed in flames. Four people were affected; three were rescued unconscious and later confirmed dead, while the cyclist survived,” the statement read.
Firefighters, supported by police and FRSC operatives, contained the inferno and later handed over the bodies to ASP Ahmad Lawan of the Kura Police Division. Two fire trucks—one from the headquarters and another from the Kura station—were deployed.
The cause of the tanker crash is still under investigation.
The second incident occurred at about 2:45pm the same day when a fire broke out at Hamisu Plaza on Maiduguri Road in the Taruni Local Government Area.
By the time firefighters arrived, the upper floor of the two-storey commercial building was already ablaze. Three shops were destroyed, but the team managed to save the remaining shops on the first and ground floors.
A fire truck stationed at the ongoing trade fair responded swiftly to the emergency.
The cause of the plaza fire is also being investigated.
The agency’s Director, Alhaji Sani Anas, appealed to residents to exercise caution in handling fire, especially during the harmattan season. He also urged motorists to obey traffic rules to prevent avoidable tragedies.
Kano has recently experienced multiple fire-related incidents, including the death of four family members in a house fire in Tarauni LGA nine days ago, and the destruction of at least 25 temporary shops and 19 stores at the Singer Market on November 11, 2025.