A vehicle powered by the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) exploded at a NIPCO filling station in Aduwawa, Benin, Edo State, on Wednesday wounding three people severely injured, including a motorist who suffered eye injuries.
An anonymous pump attendant at the station, on Thursday said two others—a woman whose stomach was ripped open and another person whose foot was amputated due to the blast—are also receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ugbowo.
The attendant said the explosion was from a cylinder fabricated by a welder without proper approval. The welder has reported to the police.
“The explosion occurred while vehicles were queuing to refill their cylinders at the station. The vehicle being attended to suddenly exploded.
“One motorist suffered an eye injury, a woman’s stomach was torn open, and another person’s foot was amputated from the impact. They are all at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital receiving treatment, and we hope none of them will lose their lives.”
It was learnt that the cylinder involved had been welded and modified, contrary to approved safety standards for CNG.
The manager of the station refused to speak to the media, saying he has no permission to do so.
The spokesperson of UBTH, Joshua Uwaila, said he had spoken to the man injured in the eye injury, who was reported to be in stable condition.
The Presidential CNG Initiative in an X statement expressed sympathy with those injured.
The statement read: “The Presidential CNG Initiative notes the unfortunate incident involving an illegally modified vehicle at a NIPCO CNG station in Aduwawa, Benin City, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. We commiserate with those injured and are thankful that no lives were lost. Safe handling of hydrocarbons is critical to their safe use.”
“The police, regulatory authorities, and NIPCO management are investigating the incident, and we are coordinating with them,” the statement added.
The Initiative said it is important to strictly comply with safety regulations.
It added, “This incident underscores the need for the soon-to-be-launched Nigeria Gas Vehicle Monitoring System by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), NMDPRA, NADDC, and FRSC to tackle any bad actors jeopardizing the safety of CNG usage. We call on stakeholders to adhere to these regulations and ensure that only accredited conversion centres are patronised to guarantee safe handling of CNG.”