By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano
Kano State Police Command has officially given an account of the blast that killed five people and left 15 wounded in Kano on Saturday.
The Police Command cleared the air through a Statement from the office of the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) entitled: “FACTORY EXPLOSION AT YONGXING STEEL COMPANY: KANO STATE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE VISITS SCENE; DIRECTS INVESTIGATION”
The Statement signed by DSP Hussaini Abdullahi, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, reads: “The Kano State Police Command received a distress call from the Marketing Manager of Yongxing Steel Company located along Ring Road, Mariri Quarters, Kano, Mr. Ibrahim Udazu, about an explosion that occurred in the factory premises, that seriously injured some people.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, PhD, leading the early responders, including the Command’s team of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Weapons Personnel, arrived and secured the scene to avert further damage. The scene was immediately cordoned off to restrict access as a precautionary measure, and the police EOD Personnel professionally recovered five suspected devices without injury.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the explosion occurred from a truck loaded with scraps from Damaturu, Yobe State, while offloading at the company’s premises. As a result, fifteen people sustained varying degrees of injury and were immediately rushed to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Regrettably, five of the victims died while receiving treatment. Meanwhile, others are responding to treatment.
“The State Commissioner of Police has directed a detailed investigation and urges the public to remain calm and be vigilant while cooperating with the police to get to the root cause of the unfortunate incident.
“The Command requests residents to kindly report any useful information or suspicious activities to the Police through our emergency contact numbers: 08032419754, 08123821575, 09029292926.”
Five die, 15 injured in a blast at scrap company in Kano
Five people lost their lives, while 15 other people got injured, following a blast at a scrap company in Kano.
Impressive sources at Kano Police headquarters, Bompai confirmed the incident to our Correspondent, even as the office of Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) is putting an official statement together as at the time of filling this report.
Our Correspondent reports that the scrap company is located along Maiduguri Road by Eastern Bypass, within Kano metropolis.
A Senior Police officer who does not want his name mentioned told our correspondent that although the cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, investigations are ongoing.
He stated that the blast occurred within a scrap yard where various metallic and hazardous materials were stored.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, caused panic in the affected area.
Security personnel and medical teams rushed to the scene for a rescue mission.
Another Security source told our Correspondent that, “the blast may have originated from a metallic scrap believed to have been improperly handled or kept.
The victims were quickly evacuated, and the survivors were taken to nearby hospitals.