At least five building materials shops were destroyed by fire on Sunday in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, following a gas explosion.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred when a car, reportedly carrying a family to church, lost control due to brake failure and crashed into a gas vendor’s shop, triggering the explosion.
“He was driving at high speed and tried to slow down when the brakes failed, causing him to veer into the gas vendor’s shop,” an eyewitness recounted.
An official from the Kubwa Command of the Federal Fire Service, who asked to remain anonymous, stated that firefighters arrived at the scene within minutes of receiving a distress call. “The fire broke out around 6:12 a.m., and we received the call at 6:20 a.m. Within five minutes, we were at the scene. We deployed up to five trucks to extinguish the fire and bring the situation under control,” the official said.
The swift response prevented the flames from spreading to nearby buildings and businesses. A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited the scene observed smouldering debris and extensive damage to property.
Personnel from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Police were also present. While no casualties had been reported at the time of this report, the incident resulted in significant property loss. Volunteers assisted efforts to salvage goods and prevent the fire from spreading to additional shops.
Residents described the incident as unfortunate but praised the Federal Fire Service for their prompt and effective response.
(NAN)
