THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has confirmed that six people lost their lives, and 14 vehicles were burnt in the explosion from a tanker accident at Nyanya Bridge, Abuja, on Wednesday night.
The FCT police, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, Thursday morning, described the incident as devastating.
According to the police, a heavily loaded Dangote truck lost control and crashed into vehicles in traffic, leading to the explosion.
“A Dangote trailer carrying cement lost control while approaching Nyanya Bridge from AYA and rammed into multiple vehicles, triggering a massive inferno,” the police said.
The police added that emergency responders battled the raging flames and thick smoke to rescue people trapped in the inferno.
However, six victims were confirmed dead from the tragedy.
The police said their remains had been deposited at Karu General Hospital morgue.
According to the statement, police operatives, fire service personnel, and other security agencies struggled to contain the fire and restore free movement of vehicles on the route.
The police condole with victims’ families and urge motorists to drive carefully, while investigations are ongoing into the incident.
The ICIR reported on Wednesday, March 19 that an explosion from a tanker crash rocked the Abuja-Keffi expressway near Karu Bridge.
The incident occurred during rush hour as commuters returned from work along the ever-busy highway.
Massive explosions could be heard from videos from the scene on social media, as hundreds of commuters fled from their vehicles for dear lives.
The explosion engulfed several vehicles and caused gridlock, as thick smoke from the blast billowed in the air.
A reporter with the ICIR
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