There was pandemonium in Abuja as a CNG laden tanker exploded along the Abuja-Keffi expressway near the Karu bridge in the federal capital territory (FCT).
Many people were feared dead and several vehicles burnt in the incident which happened on Wednesday evening when workers, returning from the nation’s capital, were heading home.
It was gathered some cars were trapped in the incident with their occupants unable to escape.
It could not be ascertained the number of casualties from the incident, but FCT fire service personnel arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire.
A counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, quoted witnesses as saying many vehicles were burnt in the incident as people scrambled for safety.
READ ALSO:
- Death toll of Niger tanker explosion rises to 98
- Driver, motor boy burnt in Ibadan tanker explosion
- 209 died, 68 hospitalised in Jigawa petrol tanker explosion — Report
- Five dead, 70 cars burnt in Rivers tanker explosion
“I saw the tanker coming at high speed, swerving dangerously before it crashed. Within seconds, there was an explosion, and fire spread everywhere,” Zagazola Makama quoted a survivor, who managed to escape from a nearby vehicle, as having said.
A statement by the Head Public Affairs of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Nkechi Isa said: “A ghastly motor accident has occurred at the Karu bridge between Kugbo and Nyanya in the FCT.
“The accident, which occurred at about 7.14pm this evening, involved a Compressed Natural Gas CNG truck and other vehicles.
“According to the Head of Forecasting Response and Mitigation division of FEMA, Mr Mark Nyam, the accident occurred when the driver of the CNG truck lost control on the bridge thereby running into other motorists and leading to an explosion.
“He noted that the search and rescue team of FEMA, Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force and NEMA are ground to rescue the casualties.”
