A devastating explosion occurred on Wednesday evening in Abuja when a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tanker burst into flames near Karou Bridge, leaving an unspecified number of people injured or dead.
A chilling video captured by an eyewitness revealed a frantic voice pleading for assistance, reporting that a CNG tanker had erupted in flames, with motorists trapped and engulfed in the inferno.
According to witnesses, who spoke to a Persecondnews correspondent at the scene, the tanker truck lost control near Karu Bridge, located at the intersection of Kugbo and Nyanya along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway.
The correspondent reports tha witnesses gathered at a safe distance, watching in horror as the massive fire engulfed the area, creating a dramatic and terrifying spectacle.
It also brought vehicular and human traffic to a halt for several hours.
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) said the explosion occurred at about 7:14 pm on Wednesday.
A statement from Nkechi Isa, Head of Public Affairs at the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD), shed light on the events leading up to the devastating explosion.
According to Mark Nyam, Head of Forecasting Response and Mitigation, the driver of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tanker lost control, colliding with other vehicles and sparking the massive blast.
The statement reads:“A ghastly motor accident has occurred at the Karu bridge between Kugbo and Nyanya in the FCT. The accident, which occurred at about 7.14 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 there by running into other motorists and leading to an explosion.”
He said search and rescue teams from FEMD, Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, Nigeria Police Force, and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have been deployed to the scene.
Nigeria has witnessed a disturbing rise in fatal road accidents and fires since the start of the year, resulting in significant loss of lives and property.
Persecondnews recalls that 98 people lost their lives on January 19, 2025, while scooping fuel from a crashed tanker at Dikko Junction along the expressway between Niger and Kaduna states.
At least 56 residents sustained varying degrees of burns and were rushed to different hospitals for treatment.
Also, on January 25, 2025, a fuel-laden tanker experienced brake failure, fell, and burst into flames, killing at least 21 people and injuring many others along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, specifically at the Ugwu Onyeama axis.
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