A tragic accident in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has several lives as a petrol-laden tanker exploded on Karu Bridge, along the Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi Road in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), resulting in a massive fire on Wednesday, March 19.
The fire destroyed at least 30 vehicles and prompted a significant emergency response. Some motorists were also feared dead in the fire.
A video obtained by our correspondent captured a voice urgently calling for help, reporting that the tanker had exploded and that trapped motorists were burning.
The explosion occurred when the tanker, carrying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), lost control and crashed on the bridge, leading to a fire that rapidly spread to nearby vehicles.
Eyewitnesses reported scenes of chaos as motorists and passengers attempted to flee the area to avoid the advancing flames.
Witnesses said the truck lost control near the Karu Bridge, situated between Kugbo and Nyanya on the Abuja-Keffi Expressway.
A heavy presence of military personnel and emergency responders was seen at the scene.
The first responders were spotted working diligently to control the situation, manage the movement of people, and ensure public safety.
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Security officials have cordoned off the affected area, directing traffic away from the scene to facilitate the operations of firefighting teams and medical personnel.
As of the time of this report, the exact number of casualties has yet to be ascertained. However, there are fears of multiple casualties, and rescue operations are ongoing.
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department also confirmed the incident, stating that the explosion occurred at around 7:14 pm on Wednesday.
In a statement signed by FEMD’s Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa, the Head of Forecasting Response and Mitigation, Mark Nyam, explained that the accident occurred when the driver of the CNG truck lost control and collided with other vehicles, leading to the explosion.
The statement read, “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 noted that the search and rescue teams of the FEMD, the Federal Fire Service, the FCT Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, and the National Emergency Management Agency, were on the ground to rescue the casualties.
