- Explosion of a Compressed Natural Gas-powered vehicle at a NipCo filling station injured multiple individuals in Benin City
- The incident has raised safety concerns as the Nigerian government promotes Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles
- TheRadar compiled the reactions from the public below
The explosion of a car powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in Benin City, which occurred while being refilled at a NipCo station, has sparked public outcry over safety standards amid Nigeria's push for energy alternatives.
Car explosion at NipCo filling station, Benin, injures many
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, October 17, completely destroyed the rear end of the car and resulted in multiple injuries to individuals.
Footage from the scene went viral on social media, showing the aftermath of the explosion and the injuries suffered by those nearby.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the gas tank, which exploded, appeared to have been improperly constructed by a welder.
Federal government pushes from petrol and diesel vehicles to CNG
This incident came amid the Nigerian government’s push to transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles. The Federal Government has initiated efforts to encourage the conversion of petrol-powered vehicles to CNG.
In a recent announcement, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) stated on its X account, “Switching to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is now more accessible than ever. With tailored payment options, converting from petrol to CNG has never been smoother or more affordable.”
The incident has sparked numerous reactions from the public, raising questions about safety standards and the ongoing push for CNG adoption in Nigeria.
Nigerians react to explosion from CNG-powered car in Benin, Edo state
TheRadar compiled reactions from the public below:
“lol I would rather buy fuel at 3k per liter than put CNG in my car! I told you all that introducing CNG without proper orientation to the nation is complete nonsense!” Carsblogger stated.
“Installation error, there are so many CNG vehicles in this part of the world and I have barely heard of such explosion,” Timmynaija HairDynasty reacted.
“They keep lying to people that this thing is safe. Its not fair,” SuperSlimEli added.
“People advocating for it haven't converted theirs ooooh! Some of them don't even own a car. If CNG is that good and cheap, why isn't it popular in other climes?” Emeka Nwoke mentioned.
“The major risk in converting to CNG is the conversion being done by a quack; the result would ofcourse be an explosion,” Stretch ™ stated.
“No b quack country b dis,” Phillips reacted.
“Tor; Quack for Quack 😂😭,” Stretch TM added.
Nigeria aims for 18,000 CNG conversions by year-end to push shift from petrol, diesel
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Federal Government distributed 1,200 CNG conversion kits to five states in Nigeria, to achieve 18,000 conversions by year-end.
Over 130 conversion centres were reportedly operational with plans to expand to 250 by year-end.