A major fire broke out in Abuja on Thursday night when a petrol-laden tanker exploded at the AYM Shafa filling station in Garki Area III. The blast occurred while the vehicle was actively discharging its highly flammable contents into the facility’s underground storage tanks. The resulting fireball rapidly intensified, spreading the destructive flames to several nearby buildings and causing widespread panic across the neighborhood.

Witnesses at the scene reported that the explosion ignited instantly at the dispensing point, immediately engulfing the entire fueling station in thick smoke and fire. The sudden blast sent shocked residents and passing motorists scrambling for safety as emergency conditions escalated. First responders arrived shortly after to combat the spreading inferno and secure the volatile area.

The fast-moving inferno severely damaged nearby structures, including an adjacent office building belonging to the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) . Passersby and witnesses described the scene as highly chaotic, noting that the fire erupted instantly as the truck was discharging premium motor spirit. Because the fuel ignited so rapidly, the flames spread to neighboring properties before anyone could react, escalating the incident into a multi-building emergency.

In response to the crisis, emergency teams were immediately dispatched to Area III to combat the blaze. Confirming the deployment, the Chief Superintendent of Fire for the FCT Fire Service , Ibrahim Muhammad Tauhid , stated that teams were on the ground actively fighting the serious fire to bring it under control . While authorities confirmed that surrounding properties were heavily impacted, officials noted that it was still too early to determine the exact number of casualties or the full scale of the structural damage.

“Our men are on the ground fighting the fire. It is a serious incident, and some of the surrounding buildings have been affected,” he said.

Tauhid also disclosed that a number of people were affected by the incident but said it was too early to confirm the number of casualties or the extent of injuries.

As of the time of filing this report, emergency responders were still battling to extinguish the fire.