AN early morning explosion involving a compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle has damaged at least two cars at the Mando motor park in Kaduna State.
News Point Nigeria reports that a garage worker, Abdulkadir Abdullahi, said the incident occurred at about 4:00am on Sunday.
He explained that the explosion originated from a bus powered by CNG, adding that two vehicles were affected by the blast.
According to him, the damaged vehicles were luxury buses belonging to a transport company, adding nd they have since been evacuated from the garage.
“Fortunately, no life was lost and no one sustained injuries because there was no passenger inside the vehicle at the time of the incident. However, the explosion caused panic among people within the garage,” he said.
He dismissed claims circulating in some quarters that the explosion was caused by a bomb, insisting that it was purely a gas-related incident.
Daily Trust gathered that normal activities have resumed at the garage, which is located near the Air Force base in Kaduna.
However, the Kaduna State Police Command clarified that the explosion at the Mando Motor Park was not a bomb blast but a gas-related incident involving a luxury bus.
In a statement on Sunday, the Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, explained that the incident occurred at about 3:00am at Silver Luxury Travel, a transport company operating gas-powered vehicles at Mando Garage.
According to the police, a loud sound from the location triggered concern and speculation of a possible explosion.
It added that detectives were immediately deployed to the scene following the report.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the incident involved a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered luxury bus, which experienced a minor explosion due to overfilling of its gas tank.
The police confirmed that the affected vehicles had been evacuated, and the area secured.
No casualties or property damage were recorded, and normal activities have since resumed at the motor park.
The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, CP Muhammad Rabiu, has ordered a full investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident and prevent future occurrences.
The Police Bomb Disposal Unit was also deployed to the scene as part of precautionary measures.
The Command urged members of the public to verify information before sharing, warning that unverified reports especially on security matters can cause unnecessary panic.