The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has confirmed that the explosion at Karu Bridge, which caused a gridlock between Kugbau and Nyanya in Abuja on Wednesday, was caused by a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) truck.
Mr 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, Mrs Nkechi Isa, Nyam said the incident, involving the CNG truck and other vehicles, occurred at around 7:14 p.m.
Nyam explained that the accident happened when the driver of the CNG truck lost control and collided with other motorists, leading to an explosion of the CNG tank.
He 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 the National Hospital were no longer able to accommodate them.
Although details of the casualties were not provided, Nyam stated that the search and rescue teams from FEMD, the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, and the Nigeria Police were on the ground to rescue other victims.
Other agencies at the scene, he said, included the National Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
The FRSC spokesman, Olusegun Ogungbemide, who also confirmed the incident, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) 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.
