Police, witness, FCT Minister explain Abuja explosion

The explosion was caused by cooking gas.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command on Thursday said there was no casualty from an explosion at Area 1 in Garki District of Abuja.

The explosion occurred at about 4:45 p.m. when a cooking gas seller was refilling a customer’s cylinder in his shop at the Shagari Plaza, opposite Area 1 Shopping Complex.

The FCT Command Public Relations Officer, Altine Daniel, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.

“The situation is calm there; I’m just coming from there now. The explosion was caused by a cooking gas. The man sells cooking gas, and you know the weather is hot. So, I think it was because of the heat. Nobody was injured, no casualty. It was only two vehicles that were parked close to the gas spot that got burnt,” Ms. Daniel said.

While the Abuja police said there was no casualty, a witness, who simply identified himself as Obasi, told PREMIUM TIMES that two people were injured following the explosion. He also hinted that there might have been more than one explosion at the same site.

“I don’t know what actually caused it but the (explosion came) one after the other, damaging vehicles. Two people were wounded. One had a fire burn but the other person, I understand, had already been taken away by the time I got there,” Mr. Obasi said.

He also noted that the men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the FCT Fire Service arrived at the scene to help put out the fire.

Meanwhile the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, in a statement on the incident, assured Abuja residents that there was no bomb explosion in the city as many feared.