By Felix Durumbah
At least 15 persons were reportedly burnt to death following a series of explosions ignited by multiple auto crashes near Karu Bridge, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Wednesday evening, March 19.
Many more received varying degrees of burns and several vehicles were destroyed in the accident, which rattled residents of the usually serene axis.
Karu Bridge is one of the landmarks on the busy Abuja-Keffi Expressway.
It is located just before Nyanya, the last major satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the highway to Nasarawa State.
Many workers, business persons and others returning from work inside Abuja and who reside in Nyanya axis or the adjoining Mararaba, New Nyanya, Masaka, Ado, all in Nasarawa State, occupants of the affected vehicles, were reportedly affected.
Most of the dead and injured were trapped in the vehicles as the explosions rocked the scene, triggering a huge blaze which enveloped the immediate vicinity.
An official of the Federal Fire Service told Peopleandpolitics.net that the accident was caused by a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) truck which was on top speed and suddenly experienced brake failure, ramming into a smaller vehicle in its front.
The high impact collision sparked an explosion and a massive fire, it was learned.
Other sources said the fire quickly spread to other motorists driving right behind the truck as there was virtually no time to halt or room to make a U-turn on the choked highway,thus setting off more fires.
Loud explosions could be heard in as far away as Mararaba, a town about five kilometres from Karu Bridge.
Mararaba residents recalled hearing a series of explosions which sounded far away, with some initially wondering if the military in Abacha Cantonment, not far from Karu Bridge, were probably up to something.
Eye witnesses recounted that many persons were burnt inside the affected vehicles.
A witness said the escalating intensity of the fire deterred first responders from getting anywhere near the vehicles to try to save lives.
Occupants of the vehicles were heard screaming for help even as the fire engulfed and burnt many to death.
“It was a gory sight which I will never wish even for my enemy! People in the vehicles were screaming for rescue -any type of rescue- from the huge tongues of flame, but we stood afar helpless as nobody dared go near the scene because such person would be instantly roasted. The fire was that big.
“I’ve never in my life seen anything like this. Because the cars behind the truck were also on speed, they rammed into each other and many of them, their doors suddenly just refused to open. The passengers found themselves stuck even as fiery death encircled them with fury,” a witness said.
Waxing sober, the witness told Nigerians to learn a lesson from the incident, saying”noone knows when or how they will die. Better we quit all our sinful ways because death can come calling in circumstances noone expects.”
However, officials of FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FCT Fire Service, the Police and other agencies later arrived the scene and commenced the process of fighting the fire and sorting the remains of the dead and the wounded, who were immediately conveyed to the nearby General Hospitals in Asokoro and Wuse located inside Federal Capital City (FCC).
Reacting to the incident, Controller General of Federal Fire Service (CGF), Engr. Jaji Abdulganiyu, extended his “deepest sympathies” to victims and families affected by the tragic incident.
In a press statement signed by the agency’s National Public Relations Officer, Deputy Controller A.A. Ashaffa, and made available to journalists, the CGF stated that the incident claimed several lives and destroyed many vehicles.
The statement, titled ‘Karu Trailer Fire: CGF, Federal Fire Service Commiserates With Victims’, read: “The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Engr. Jaji O. Abdulganiyu, MIFireE, extends his deepest sympathies to the victims and families affected by today’s tragic fire incident at Karu underbridge along Keffi Road, Abuja.
“The fire, which broke out between 6:00 and 6:30 PM, claimed several lives and destroyed multiple vehicles. Preliminary reports indicate that the incident was caused by an open-body trailer powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
“Firefighters from the Federal Fire Service, with assistance from the FCT Fire Service, are currently working tirelessly to contain the blaze.
“Engr. Abdulganiyu also takes this opportunity to urge all drivers to exercise caution on the roads to prevent similar occurrences.”
