No fewer than three persons were hospitalised after a cylinder storing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) exploded at NIPCO gas station in Aduwawa area of Benin, Edo state.
A viral video showed a mangled vehicle with the boot of the car torn open as bystanders gathered and commiserated with a man who sustained minor injuries.
The Police confirmed that the three victims were all employees of NIPCO filling station and that they were receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
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“It’s an Audi car whose CNG cylinder exploded at Nipco filling station, injured 3 persons who are currently responding to treatment at UBTH,” Peoples Gazette cited Moses Yamu, Edo police public relations officer as saying.
The explosion has stirred worries regarding the safety of the CNG given that President Bola Tinubu’s administration plans to convert petrol vehicles to CNG as a cost-cutting measure for citizens due to the expensive price of premium motor spirit (PMS) which costs over N1000 per litre.
The Presidential CNG Initiative said the cylinder that exploded was neither fit nor approved for CNG storage. The Initiative said top security agents were on top of the matter and investigating the incident.
“A close examination of the cylinder in question in Benin City shows it was welded and modified and not approved for use for CNG,” the PCNGI said in a statement on Thursday. “The police, regulatory authorities and management of NIPCO are undertaking a painstaking investigation of the incident and we are coordinating with them.”
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“This incident reiterates the impetus of the PCNGI and our partners on the soon to be launched Nigeria Gas Vehicle Monitoring System at SON, NMDPRA, NADDC and FRSC to tackle any bad actors in the ecosystem that seeks to make this safer, cheaper, cleaner and more reliable source of fueling risky for all.”
PCNGI asked relevant stakeholders to cooperate with the government in ensuring that all Nigerians followed due process and approved gas stations ro convert their vehicles to run on CNG.
“We also call on all stakeholders to cooperate with the new system of regulation and ensure full compliance. Only accredited conversion centers must be patronized and safe handling of CNG just like petrol ensures safety of all,” the PCNG said.