No fewer than forty shops and eight houses were on Saturday completely burnt in a tanker fire incident.
Although, no death recorded, four persons were said to have sustained severe burns.
The incident happened in Make, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger state.
It was learnt that the fire started when one of the trucks, which were parked illegally along the Maje, road fell and caught fire as its contents spilled out.
Visiting and commiserating with the victims of the disaster, Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, said the fire was caused by indiscriminate and illegal parking by a tanker driver expressing concern over the increasing rate of unfortunate but avoidable losses to accidents.
He warned that illegal and indiscriminate packing, as well as reckless driving of any kind by heavy duty truck drivers will be met with stiffer punishment.
Bello, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaju Ahmed Mohammed Kelso, lamented that incessant accidents along the Minna- Suleja road were being caused by the indiscriminate and illegal parking by the trucks, a development which had led to collateral damage and wanton destruction of properties.
He said: “There is the need for an all inclusive solution to indiscriminate parking, directed heavy duty truck drivers, security agencies, emergency management agencies officials and all other relevant stakeholders to meet to find lasting and permanent solution to that menace.
“Youths should be blamed for the losses experienced in the disaster, some losses recorded in some disasters would have been minimal but for the unpatriotic and unfriendly attitude of youth to fire fighters and other emergence officials.”
