(Ottawa) Two Nigerian maintenance workers were killed Monday and two others were injured when a diesel generator exploded at the Canadian High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Nkechi Isa, spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency in Abuja, said a fire broke out in the morning while workers were maintaining generators.
“The fire occurred when the generator’s diesel tank containing 2,000 liters exploded,” said Mme Isa told the Associated Press, adding that the two people killed were Nigerian maintenance workers.
Two other maintenance workers were being treated for serious burns, she added.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed the explosion and offered condolences to the workers’ families, but gave no details of what happened.
“The fire is out and we are working to shed light on the causes of this situation,” wrote Mme Joly on X. I send my sincere condolences to the families of the two people killed in this tragedy. »
Global Affairs Canada said its mission, located in the embassy district in Abuja, “has temporarily suspended operations until further notice.”
The office of Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, released an image of smoke billowing from the building. A spokesperson wrote that Mr Tinubu had expressed his condolences and offered his government’s “full support” to those working at the high commission.
Data from Global Affairs Canada, provided to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, indicates that as of August 2022, the Nigerian High Commission had 12 Canadian diplomats and 32 locally hired staff.
With information from the Associated Press