Agency confirms two dead in Canada High Commission’s fire

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has confirmed that a diesel tank explosion caused the fire that gutted a section of the Canadian High Commission in Abuja on Monday.

The Head of Public Affairs of FEMA, Mrs. Nkechi Isa, who disclosed this in a statement, said two persons were killed and two others injured in the incident.

Isa added that the diesel tank exploded at 10:45 a.m. in the high commission’s generator house just as two MIKANO generators were being serviced by a five-man team from JMD Company.

She said: “One of the generators was said to be working, while the other one was being serviced when a tank containing 2,000 litres of diesel in the generator house exploded.

READ ALSO: Fire guts section of Canadian High Commission in Abuja

“Two of the personnel servicing the generator died from the explosion while two others survived with severe burns and were taken to the Trauma Centre at the National Hospital, Abuja.”

The FEMA director revealed that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service was able to contain the fire around 12:30 p.m. while ambulances from the Ministry of Defence, Federal Fire Service, and FEMA were on standby.

On his part, the acting Director-General of FEMA, Mr. Mohammed Sabo, called for caution while handling petroleum products, particularly with the onset of the dry season.

Sabo appealed to residents to always use the 112 emergency toll-free number in the event of any disaster or emergency situation.

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