A major fire erupted on Thursday morning at Chill Cherry, a petroleum and cooking gas station located along Bukuru Expressway in Jos, the Plateau State capital, sending residents and motorists into a state of alarm.
The blaze reportedly started from the station’s main underground fuel discharge tank, which is situated a short distance from the Jos South Local Government Secretariat.
Witnesses said there was an initial delay in the arrival of fire service personnel, leaving station workers to battle the flames on their own in the early moments of the incident.
As the fire intensified, customers and commuters hurriedly evacuated the area, especially as the facility also houses a cooking gas outlet, heightening fears of a possible explosion.
A resident in the vicinity later commended the arrival of emergency responders, noting that the swift movement of fire trucks reflected improved coordination between federal and state fire agencies.
Confirming the incident, the Plateau State spokesperson for the Federal Fire Service, Mr E.E. Anzolo, said officers of the Plateau State Fire Service were already on ground to contain the situation.
The exact cause of the fire was still unknown at the time of reporting.
