2 varsity students, 5 others suffer burns in Makurdi explosion

Seven persons, including two students of Benue State University(BSU), Makurdi, escaped death in a gas explosion that ripped through a filling station opposite the institution on Makurdi-Gboko Road, Monday evening.

An eyewitness the victims, who are 300 level Mass Communication students of the institution and other customers, had gone to the station to fill up their gas cylinders when the incident happened.

According to the Manager of the station, John Ekpo, who disclosed that some workers of the station were also affected in the inferno, said the incidence occurred at about 6p.m. after a loaded gas tanker had discharged gas at the station.

Ekpo said: “The tanker had completed the discharge and was trying to move out of the station when it suddenly exploded and everyone started running amidst confusion. Luckily the situation was saved by the prompt intervention of passers-by and motorists who volunteered their fire extinguishers and all rallied round to put out the fire before the entire station was affected.”

One of the victims, Pastor Jane Ochife, who had her two legs badly burnt said she had gone to the station to fill up her gas cylinder when suddenly she heard the explosion and the accompanying fire.

She said: “I was still in my car when I saw fire all around my vehicle. So, I had to rush out of the car and ran through the fire to safety. I lost my purse containing my phones and some amount of money in the process but thank God, my vehicle was not burnt.”