A fuel tanker feeding a Turkish airlines aircraft at the Aminu Kano International Airport was allegedly caught on fire last night, July 22/23.
Photo: Fire at the Aminu Kano International Airport. Credits: @ahmad082
Premium Times reports with reference to an eye witness that but for the quick interference of the fire brigade, the place would have been hit by the dire tragedy.
While the fuel tanker burnt completely, the passenger jet Airbus 340 scheduled to be heading to Istanbul was partly damaged.
Garba Shehu, the Media Consultant to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was supposed to board on the abovementioned plane, confirmed the development saying:
"The Airbus 340 aircraft which had the burning truck under its wings made a miraculous escape following a decision to tow it away from the fire just in time before the fuel-laden tanker burst into a towering flame. The flight taking my family and I, among many other passengers to Istanbul from Kano was cancelled a short while ago following indications that the aircraft, even though not destroyed, was partly damaged on its wing. Fire engines at the airport emptied their contents without any serious impact on the raging fire, which burnt without let until it had consumed the oil tanker."
Photo: Fire at the Aminu Kano International Airport. Credits: @sullmud
Neither the airport representatives, nor the Turkish Airlines could be reached for comments, as at the time of filing this report.
It would be recalled that in April, 2014, a similar accident occurred in Kaduna as fire enfulged the State airport control tower and was temporarily closed. Only the next day, when a new mobile control tower was transported to the airport from Abuja, it became possible to resume the normal activities. However the cause of fire is yet to be determined in the course of the ongoing investigation.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
