Fire at Nnewi diesel storage site injures one; arson suspected

One person was badly burnt when fire broke out at a diesel storage site in Ndieze Nwankwo, along Edibros Road, Uruagu, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Sunday evening.

Several storage tanks holding diesel were destroyed. No death was reported.

The Anambra State Fire Service said it received a distress call at about 5:45 pm on Sunday, 1 November 2026, and sent firefighters to the scene immediately.

Chukwudi Chiketa, who heads the service's media and publicity unit, said in a statement on Monday that the firefighters stopped the fire from spreading, though some tanks were affected. They left the scene at about 10:58 pm the same day, he said.

The injured person was rushed to hospital for treatment. The fire service did not name the victim.

Arson suspected, cause still under investigation

Chiketa said the incident was suspected to be arson, alleging that an unidentified person deliberately set the facility on fire. He added that the actual cause remains subject to investigation.

An eyewitness told Punch that thick smoke covered the area and that the fire came with some explosions. The witness said it burned for several minutes before firefighters arrived and put it out.

The fire caused panic among residents living near the site.

Fires at fuel storage sites are a real danger in crowded neighbourhoods, where a blaze can spread quickly to homes, shops and businesses. Traders and residents around Nnewi, a busy commercial town, will be watching closely to see whether the cause is established and whether safety rules were followed at the site.

The fire service advised the public to be careful when handling and storing petroleum products, and to call the fire service promptly in an emergency so that lives and property can be saved.

What happens next

The fire service says investigations into the cause are ongoing. No arrest has been announced, and nobody has been convicted over the incident.