Police in the Federal Capital Territory say they are searching for the driver of a vehicle that crashed into a gas plant at Liberty Junction, Kubwa, triggering a fire that damaged nearby property on Sunday.
The FCT Police Command said preliminary investigations indicate that the driver of an unregistered Toyota 4Runner was allegedly travelling against traffic when he lost control and crashed into the gas plant at about 6:30 a.m. on September 27.
Police said the driver and other occupants fled the scene immediately after the crash.
The command said it has established the driver’s identity and launched a manhunt.
The account remains preliminary. IDNN has not independently established the cause of the crash or the driver’s conduct.
Fire contained, police and NEMA report no casualties
The Federal Fire Service said firefighters and other emergency responders moved to the scene and contained the fire, preventing what it described as a potentially more destructive gas explosion.
NEMA said the fire was extinguished by about 7:45 a.m. and that preliminary findings showed no casualties, although a vehicle was burnt beyond recognition and neighbouring buildings were severely affected.
FCT Police also said no casualties were recorded and that normal activities later resumed in the area.
Earlier reports described driver, child taken to hospital
The newer official accounts conflict with earlier reporting from the scene.
Premium Times and The Authority reported that residents rescued the driver and a child and that both were taken to hospital.
Premium Times also reported that at least nine shops were affected.
Those details are not reflected in the later police and NEMA accounts, which say no casualties were recorded.
The discrepancy remains unresolved.
IDNN therefore cannot state as established fact that the driver and child were hospitalised, nor can it treat the police and NEMA “no casualties” accounts as independently verified beyond the agencies reporting them.
Damage assessment still incomplete
Police said the full value of property destroyed has not yet been determined.
The Federal Fire Service had earlier shown extensive damage at the gas outlet, while NEMA said neighbouring buildings were severely affected.
Published accounts differ on the exact number of shops affected, meaning a final damage figure is not yet established.
Safety questions remain
The updated police account shifts the immediate focus from the fire itself to the circumstances of the crash and the safety of gas-retail facilities operating close to homes, shops and busy roads.
Police still need to establish the driver’s full legal status and whether the preliminary account of driving against traffic is supported by further evidence.
Authorities also need to clarify whether the gas plant complied with applicable siting and safety requirements and whether any regulatory breach contributed to the scale of the incident.
NEMA urged regulatory authorities to ensure gas plants are sited in line with established safety standards and away from residential areas to reduce the risk of similar incidents.
For now, the strongest current position is that the fire was contained, police are seeking the driver, police and NEMA report no casualties, and earlier reports of a driver and child being taken to hospital remain unresolved against those later official accounts.
