A luxury travel bus reportedly powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) exploded in the early hours of Sunday at the Mando motor park in Kaduna, sparking panic among residents and transport operators in the area.
Eyewitnesses said the explosion occurred while the bus was parked within the motor park, sending shockwaves through the vicinity and triggering a fire that affected nearby vehicles. Two additional buses belonging to the same transport company were reportedly damaged in the blaze that followed the explosion.
Despite the intensity of the incident, no casualties were recorded as the vehicles involved were unoccupied at the time. Sources at the motor park confirmed that the buses had been parked overnight in preparation for scheduled passenger operations later in the day.
A commercial driver present at the park dismissed speculation that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device, suggesting instead that it may have been linked to the bus’s CNG system.
“It happened during the night. It was not a bomb; we suspect it is related to the CNG. No one died or was injured. The affected buses were parked,” the driver said.
Further confirmation came from a manager with a logistics company operating within the motor park, who stated that the affected buses were newly acquired and had been scheduled to begin boarding passengers in the morning before the incident occurred.
“Thank God no one was inside the vehicles. They were parked to board passengers this morning,” the manager said, expressing relief that the situation did not result in any loss of life.
The explosion caused significant alarm in the surrounding area, with residents and transport workers fleeing the scene as flames engulfed the vehicles. Emergency response efforts were reportedly initiated to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further within the busy transport hub.
Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and commenced preliminary investigations to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to release an official statement clarifying the circumstances surrounding the incident. However, initial accounts suggest that a possible technical fault associated with the CNG-powered system may have contributed to the explosion.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety standards and maintenance of CNG-powered vehicles, which are increasingly being adopted across Nigeria as part of efforts to reduce fuel costs and promote cleaner energy alternatives.
Industry observers note that while CNG presents economic and environmental advantages, proper handling, installation, and maintenance of the systems are critical to ensuring safety and preventing accidents.
Residents and stakeholders in Kaduna have called for a thorough investigation into the explosion, urging relevant authorities to establish clear safety guidelines and enforcement mechanisms for vehicles powered by alternative energy sources.
Meanwhile, activities at the Mando motor park were temporarily disrupted following the incident, as operators assessed the damage and awaited further directives from security agencies.
Authorities are expected to provide more details as investigations progress, while transport operators and the general public remain on alert over potential safety risks associated with the use of CNG-powered vehicles.
