Two welders were killed and three injured when a fuel tank at a filling station exploded during welding maintenance in Daffo Town, Plateau State, Friday[3].
The blast highlights ongoing safety gaps in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding fuel retail sector, where underground storage tanks are often serviced without strict oversight—experts said lapses can trigger deadly incidents. Nigeria has more than 30,000 petrol stations, many of which rely on underground storage tanks that are vulnerable to accidental ignition. The National Petroleum Investment Management Services has warned that inadequate maintenance can lead to explosions, citing several incidents in the past decade[4].
Police reports confirm that the explosion was an industrial accident caused by welding work on the underground tank[4]. The incident left two welders dead[2] and three other workers with injuries ranging from burns to shrapnel wounds[1]. Rescue teams arrived within minutes, using fire extinguishers and foam to contain the blaze. The three injured were taken to Plateau State General Hospital, where doctors reported second‑degree burns on two patients and a laceration on the third.
"Yes, it's true. Today, Friday, April 17, 2026, two persons died, and three others were injured at Daffo Town of Bokkos LGA, Plateau State, as an underground tank of Natty Filling Station exploded during welding maintenance," said an unnamed resident[3]. Witnesses said a loud bang echoed through the market area, followed by a plume of thick black smoke that lingered for hours.
Media accounts differed on the injury count. Punch Nigeria’s report mentioned only the two fatalities and did not specify injuries, while NaijaNews and BusinessDay listed three injured persons[1][2]. The discrepancy underscores the difficulty of obtaining accurate casualty figures in the immediate aftermath of such incidents, especially when communication infrastructure is limited.
Local authorities have opened an investigation and warned other stations to halt welding near fuel tanks until safety protocols are verified[2]. The incident has also prompted calls for stricter enforcement of Nigeria’s petroleum storage regulations. The Bokkos Local Government Chairman, in a brief statement, urged station owners to conduct routine safety audits, and to train staff on emergency shutdown procedures.
The explosion adds to a series of fuel‑related incidents that have rattled Nigeria in recent years. In 2022, a gasoline depot fire in Lagos claimed five lives, and a 2024 blast at a diesel station in Kano injured dozens. Analysts argue that rapid growth in fuel demand has outpaced the implementation of robust safety standards, leaving many stations vulnerable to human error, and equipment failure.
“Two welders were killed and three injured when a fuel tank at a filling station exploded during welding maintenance.”
The incident underscores persistent safety deficiencies in Nigeria’s fuel distribution network, where rapid expansion has outstripped regulatory oversight. Repeated accidents risk public health, strain emergency services, and could prompt tighter government inspections and mandatory safety training for station personnel.
