There was confusion in the Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna State on Saturday following a gas explosion.
The gas explosion occurred on business premises located along Kachia Road, Sabon Tasha, in Chikun Local Government Area between 2.30pm and 3.00pm according to eyewitnesses.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said more than five persons were killed in the incident. “Red Cross officials used shovels to evacuate body parts of victims,” he said.
Sources said that Professor Simon Mallam, Chairman of Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, was feared killed in the explosion which shattered the windows of residential homes in the area.
It was learnt that the Professor had taken his grandson to a barber’s shop close to where a retail gas outlet is located when the incident happened and was feared killed.
However, the fate of the Professor’s grandson was uncertain as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government has expressed concern over the unfortunate incident, vowing to investigate the cause of the explosion.
The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who spoke to reporters at the scene of the incident, said the explosion would be investigated.
The Kaduna State Fire Service, the Red Cross Society group, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps as well as men of the state security outfit code-named ‘Operation Yaki’ partook in the rescue of victims.
Our correspondent observed that the impact of the explosion shattered windows of nearby residential buildings as well as business premises around the area while the loud sound of the explosion was heard several kilometres away.