A car crash at a gas retail station triggered a massive fire at Liberty Junction in Kubwa, Abuja, on Sunday morning, injuring the driver and damaging at least nine shops and a police traffic post.
The accident, which occurred at about 6:15 am, caused an explosion at the gas station after the vehicle rammed into the facility.
The resulting inferno quickly spread to adjoining shops and a container, sending thick smoke across the busy commercial area and throwing residents and early-morning commuters into panic.
The driver and a little child were rescued from the vehicle, which was completely burnt in the blaze.
The driver, who sustained injuries in the crash, was reportedly rushed to a medical facility for treatment.
His condition was not immediately known at the time of filing this report.
The force of the incident also damaged a nearby police traffic post, displacing the makeshift structure and scattering debris across the area.
A nearby drainage was also damaged.
Emergency responders moved swiftly to the scene as the fire threatened to spread further through the commercial area.
Personnel of the Federal Fire Service, FCT Fire Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigeria Police took part in the operation to contain the blaze.
Firefighters battled the flames through the morning before bringing the situation under control.
The incident caused major traffic gridlock along the corridor as motorists, motorcyclists, residents and passersby gathered around the scene.
Fire trucks occupied portions of the road while security and emergency personnel cordoned off the area to keep people away from the burning structures and facilitate rescue and firefighting operations.
The affected vehicle was reduced to a charred shell, while several shops suffered damage from the fire.
Although officials had not yet established the exact cause of the crash at press time, the collision with the gas facility triggered the explosion and subsequent fire.
The incident again highlighted the potential danger of accidents around gas facilities in busy commercial environments, where a single crash can quickly escalate into a wider emergency.
By later in the morning, the fire had been extinguished, and emergency responders began clearing the wreckage and securing the area.
Traffic movement was also gradually returning to normal along the Liberty Junction axis.