Fuel tanker explodes in Abuja, injuring two

A fuel-laden tanker exploded on Shehu Shagari Way in the upscale Maitama area of Abuja after colliding with a commercial bus on Monday evening.

An X user, #Southsouthboy3, posted that motorists abandoned their vehicles and fled for safety, leading to a gridlock along Nicon Hotel, MTN, and Chicken House.

“A petrol-laden tanker has exploded in Maitama, an affluent area of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. Some individuals in a commercial vehicle sustained injuries in the incident, which occurred along Shehu Shagari Way. Many motorists abandoned their vehicles on the busy road and ran for their lives. The situation caused gridlock on various roads, including those connecting Farmers Market, Nicon Hilton Hotel, MTN, and Chicken House,” Southsouthboy3 wrote on X.

The Director of the FCT Fire Service, Amiola Adebayo, told PUNCH Online that the tanker, owned by the AP Filling Station, overturned at the Maitama Roundabout, near the MTN Office, after colliding with a Sienna vehicle, which caused the fire.

He noted that two occupants of the Sienna had been taken to hospital for treatment.

He said, “We were alerted about the fire at around 6:20 pm. The PMS tanker overturned at Maitama Roundabout, close to the MTN Office. The fire was brought under control by 7:50 pm. The tanker belongs to AP Filling Station, opposite the Nicon Hilton Hotel.

“The fuel tanker collided with a Sienna, resulting in a fire. Two occupants of the Sienna were taken to hospital for treatment. Thankfully, there was no loss of life.”