The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department and Fire Service have offered explanations on why and how the explosion that involved a gas tanker occurred at Karu Bridge in Abuja.
The accident, which occurred on Wednesday and involved a Compressed Natural Gas truck, caused a gridlock between Kugbo and Nyanya.
Mark Nyam, Head of the Forecasting, Response, and Mitigation Division of the department, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
In the statement, signed by the department’s Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa, Nyam said the incident, involving the CNG truck and other vehicles, occurred at around 7:14pm.
He explained that the accident happened when the driver of the CNG truck lost control and collided with other motorists, leading to multiple explosions.
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“Oh! Look at human beings on the ground. This is Karu bridge, people are burning,” he said, and fled when another gas canister exploded.
An unidentified eyewitness in a video clip shared by FEMD said many people were being burnt alive.
Nyam disclosed that some of the victims of the incident had been taken to the State House Clinic for treatment.
He explained that the victims were taken to the facility because Asokoro Hospital and National Hospital were no longer able to accommodate them.
Although details of the casualties were not provided, he stated that the search and rescue teams from FEMD, Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, and Nigeria Police were on the ground to rescue other victims.
Other agencies at the scene, he said, included the National Emergency Management Agency and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
The FRSC spokesman, Olusegun Ogungbemide, who also confirmed the incident, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the details of the incident were still unclear.
Ogungbemide, however, said that the explosion caused severe gridlock on the route, forcing many fleeing commuters to abandon their vehicles.
The FCT Fire Service disclosed that brake failure on the part of the truck caused the exposition.
The FCT FFS Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Mohammad, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
Mohammad said that the truck, which was headed toward Nyanya axis from AYA, lost control and in the process rammed into several vehicles on the route.
He said: “The impact led to fire, which resulted in casualties.
“Figures of casualties have not been given as rescue operation is still ongoing to see the number of lives that are involved.
“Some vehicles that were burnt to ashes have to be thoroughly investigated to ascertain whether people are trapped inside them and that is why the search is still ongoing even with searchlights as we speak.”
The spokesperson, however, gave an assurance that once proper search had been concluded, the number of casualties will be disclosed.
Mohammed added that the Federal and FCT fire services alongside other sister agencies were at the scene to carry out the rescue operation.
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