A tragic incident unfolded on Thursday morning in Benin City, Edo State, when a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered vehicle exploded at the NIPCO filling station on Aduwawa along the Benin-Auchi Expressway.
A viral video of the explosion depicted the vehicle scattered across the site, while bystanders fled in terror as the loud blast created panic in the area. Reports indicate that three individuals sustained various injuries and were promptly rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ugbowo.
The explosion reportedly occurred when a technician and the car owner visited the filling station to test-run the vehicle after its conversion to CNG. This incident has raised significant safety concerns regarding the practice of converting petrol-powered vehicles to CNG, a move encouraged by the Federal Government to mitigate transportation costs following the removal of fuel subsidies.
In a statement on X, the Presidential CNG Initiative confirmed the incident, expressing sympathy for those injured. The statement noted, “The Presidential CNG Initiative acknowledges the unfortunate incident that involved an illegally modified vehicle at a NIPCO CNG Station at Ikpoba Hill in Benin City on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. We commiserate with those injured in this avoidable incident and are thankful that no lives were lost.”
The statement further clarified that a close examination of the vehicle’s cylinder revealed it was welded and modified, and not approved for use with CNG. Investigations are currently being conducted by the police, regulatory authorities, and the management of NIPCO to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.