Diesel Tank Explosion At Canadian High Commission In Nigeria Kills 2

An explosion took place at the Canadian High Commission in Abuja on Monday morning, killing two people. At least two others have been hospitalized.

Amiola Adebayo, the head of operations at the FCT Fire Service, confirmed the incident and said, "Yes, yes, it's true. We have two fatally injured and the others in the hospital, either three or four," Punch reported.

Ambulances from the Ministry of Defence Ship House, the Abuja Federal Fire Service and FEMA immediately arrived at the embassy. Mercy Douglas, from the FCT Fire Service, said it took the crew less than an hour and a half to bring the fire under control.

Adebayo didn't share the details of the victims. It is not clear if they were foreign nationals or Nigerians.

Nkechi Isa, head of public affairs at the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), revealed the incident took place due to a diesel tank explosion in the generator house of the Canadian embassy.

The victims have been taken to the trauma center of the National Hospital Abuja.

"A diesel tank explosion in the generator house at the Canadian Embassy in the Federal Capital Territory has left two persons dead and two hospitalized at the National Hospital Trauma Centre with severe burns," Isa said.

One of the power-generating sets was working but the other one was under service, Isa explained, adding that the incident occurred when the diesel tank in the generator house containing 2,000 liters of diesel exploded.

Following the incident, the acting director general of FEMA, Mohammed Ibrahim Sabo, asked everyone to be cautious while handling petroleum products, especially during the dry season.

Canada's Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly took to X on Tuesday to express condolences.

"We can confirm there was an explosion at our High Commission in Nigeria. The fire is out and we are working to shed light on what caused this situation," Joly wrote. "I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the two people killed in this tragedy."

Eyewitnesses claimed the explosion was so powerful that the dead bodies were blown out of the generator house.